


Finding Home

by AlexaCardew



Series: Home is where the heart is [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-27
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 15:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 90,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexaCardew/pseuds/AlexaCardew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Oh father, where art though? It's Kurt's senior year at McKinley and now that he and his father have finally started to get along it's going to be magical. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. June

" _I've made my decision."_

"I thought about what you said, and I'm willing to give us another chance, another year. I'm staying." Carole immediately pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.

Kurt had thought it would be a hard decision to make, but now, enveloped in Carole's arms and with his dad's hand on his shoulder, all his doubt was suddenly gone.

They were all the family he had left now, and maybe it was time to find his new home with them. The least he could do was try. He had another year after all.

Lima, OH, June 2011

Kurt had been quiet and withdrawn since his birthday party and at first Burt assumed it was because Blaine moved out the day after the party and was currently spending most of his time singing at King's Island.

It was Carole who reminded him that the first anniversary of Elisabeth's death was fast approaching and Burt could have smacked himself. With everything going on in their lives right now, he hadn't even thought about it once.

He had to do something to help Kurt, but as always he had no idea what to do. Carole's advice had been to just be there for Kurt in case he wanted to talk, but it didn't feel like that was enough. He had been trying to be a better father, and a good father wouldn't let his son go through something like that alone.

When he tried to talk to Kurt though, Kurt kept deflecting and told him everything was fine, when everyone could clearly see he was not okay. Burt considered talking to Blaine about it, but he didn't want to cause another fight between them.

In the end it was Kurt who helped him come up with an idea. One day after work he found Kurt curled up on the couch, two old photo albums on his lap. His son was crying but as soon as he noticed Burt standing in the living room Kurt frantically wiped away his tears.

When they had still been together, Elisabeth had always begged him to make family photo albums, but that had been another empty promise. Most of their pictures had ended up in a box he had never picked up from Enzo’s after he finalized his move to Texas.

Burt quickly made his way up to his bedroom to call up his former best friend, praying that the junk he left with him was still in Enzo's attic. He couldn't give Kurt his mother back, but he could at least make sure Kurt had things to remember her by other than the two albums Kurt hid in his bedroom.

* * *

Blaine was already waiting on a park bench when Kurt arrived outside of the cemetery. His boyfriend briefly hugged him tightly, before he was pulling him down on the bench next to him.

"Thanks for taking the day off and coming with me," Kurt told Blaine who looked close to tears as well.

"You know I wouldn't let you do this alone. I still feel bad about the way I treated you when all you were doing was trying to get me my mom back, especially when I can't do the same thing for you."

Kurt looked down on the floor, so Blaine couldn't see his face. There had been days, especially lately, when he had felt extremely jealous of Blaine. Rationally, he knew that they had both lost people in their life, because Blaine's father might as well be dead, but they had also gained people in their lives.

A year ago, he would never have wanted to have his father and stepfamily in his life, but by now he knew he could have had it worse. They had had a rocky start, but his father hadn't kicked him out when he found him with Blaine, and had grown as a person, a person Kurt didn't mind sharing a house with anymore.

"Ready, to go in?" Blaine asked, pulling him back into reality.

Kurt clutched his mom's favorite flowers maybe a little harder than necessary when he nodded and they walked toward his mom's grave, holding hands, because in that moment he didn't care what others thought.

Blaine removed the flowers Kurt had left two weeks ago and Kurt carefully arranged the fresh daisies in the vase on the headstone.

As always, when visiting the cemetery, Kurt didn't care about his clothes, when he sat down next to his mother's grave, Blaine following suit.

"Hi mom. It's been a year and whoever invented 'time heals all wounds' has clearly never lost anyone. On some days, it's easier because I'm busy with school and Glee and I don't have time to dwell on the fact that I can't just come into the living room to tell you about my day."

He accepted the tissue Blaine handed him with a watery smile, before he continued.

"But some days, I just smell pancakes in the kitchen and I expect you to be there, but then it's just Carole. There were times I needed you so bad this last year, but you weren't here for me. I know that's not your fault, but sometimes I just get angry, because it's not fair. Why did I have to lose you to get my father back? Why couldn't I have it all?"

Kurt suddenly found himself in Blaine's arms, sobbing into his shoulder. He could feel a splash of something wet drop onto his cheek and knew Blaine was crying as well. Sometimes he forgot how young they still were, when he thought about how much they had lost already.

"Is it okay if I say something?" Kurt just nodded, keeping his face buried in Blaine's shoulder.

"Hi Elisabeth, it's Blaine. I really miss you. My mom wanted me to tell you how grateful she is that you took me in last year when I had nowhere else to go. I know I told you how much that meant to me often, but I just want to say it again. You saved me, and for that I always will be grateful. You have raised an amazing son, and for that I thank you as well."

By the time Blaine finished they were both a crying mess. Still Kurt managed to look up when he heard footsteps approaching. His father was slowly walking toward them, a single white rose in his hand.

"I didn't want to disturb you, and I'll be gone in a minute, I promise." Kurt shook his head and let himself be pulled up by Blaine.

He had said what he needed to, and even though sitting next to the grave and talking to his mom normally helped, it only made him sadder today.

"I have something for you when you get home," his dad called out to him as he and Blaine slowly walked back to his car.

Whatever it was his father had for him, it could wait. He needed some cheesecake and ice cream first.

* * *

 

Together with Carole, Burt had managed to pick up the boxes he left at Enzo's house and she had helped him make a scrapbook that contained pictures from before he and Lizzy had gotten married.

Before putting the pictures into the book, Carole had taken them to his office and had scanned them into the computer to make a picture CD for Kurt he could easily take with him once he left for college.

Burt just hoped, Kurt didn't hate his idea, but he had no idea how his son would react. Carole found it sweet and he knew he could trust her intuition when it came to Kurt.

Kurt came back home late that night, but Burt wasn't surprised he had spent the day with Blaine. After all, a year ago, the boys only had each other. His son's eyes were still slightly red-rimmed, but he looked more put together than he had when Burt had discovered him at Elisabeth's grave. He himself had renewed his promise to Elisabeth that he would make sure Kurt would be happy in the future. A promise he hoped he would never break again.

"You said you had something for me?" Kurt asked as he walked into the living room where Burt had been waiting up for him.

"I don't know if you're going to like it or not, but I put together all the pictures I had of your mom that had never been put into an album."

Burt picked up the scrapbook and CD and brought them over to where Kurt remained frozen in his spot.

"Um, Carole put the pictures on a CD for you as well, in case you want to have them on your computer." He awkwardly patted Kurt's shoulder as his son sunk down onto the couch clutching the book.

Burt watched in silence as Kurt flipped through the pages, but jumped up in alarm when Kurt started sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong? Do you hate it?"

Kurt shook his head, and Burt leaned over his shoulder to take a look at the picture Kurt was staring at. Elisabeth was standing with a group of smiling teens under a sign that identified them as McKinley High Glee Club 1990.

"Well, where did you think you got that voice from?"

"I knew she was in Glee, but I've never seen a picture from that time. Mom said she lost the pictures during a move."

Because Burt had never done what Elisabeth had asked him for, she probably had believed they were lost when they moved to Lima. All those years, they had been sitting in a box in the garage until Burt had just grabbed everything stored in the garage and had taken it with him. It was his fault Kurt had never seen pictures of his mother like that when he was growing up.

"So you don't hate it?" Kurt wiped his eyes on his sleeve, something so unlike Kurt.

"I love it! Thanks so much, dad. I, I think I'm going to take it up to my room to look through the rest of them."

Burt smiled at his son's retreating form, glad that he had done something right for once.

* * *

 

The weekend before he and Rachel would start working as counselors at art camp, Kurt drove to King's Island to watch Blaine perform. Because he was in Texas the previous summer, he had never watched Blaine perform solo outside Glee club and he was dying to see him.

Blaine looked surprised, but happy to see him when he found his boyfriend outside the stage door, but they didn't get much time together, because his cast mates constantly had to "borrow" him for something that couldn't wait.

He was glad Blaine had friends here, but he didn't like how some of the girls were staring at him. He knew it was ridiculous to get jealous, especially over a bunch of girls, when Blaine had always been faithful to him, even when he had thought they had broken up.

While Kurt was waiting for Blaine to come back out, a tall blond guy came up to him, sighing dreamily.

"Isn't Blaine the hottest?"

Kurt had no idea how to answer that. Of course he thought Blaine was hot, but why was this guy telling him this.

"Just too bad the guy is straight. Otherwise I would be all over him by now." What the hell?

Before he could ask Blaine what that was all about, Blaine told him that the show was starting soon and Kurt had to walk over to the stage to secure a good seat.

The first couple of songs were group numbers and Kurt had to admit that the performers were all very talented, even stupid blond guy. Toward the end though, Blaine came on stage alone and sat down in front of the piano.

"This is for someone very special to me who is here today. I love you."

The audience awed when Blaine started to play the song, and Kurt temporarily forgot he was mad at Blaine for lying about his sexuality.

_It's a little bit funny,_

_This feeling inside._

_I'm not one of those who can_

_Easily hide._

_..._

_I know it's not much,_

_But it's the best I can do._

_My gift is my song and_

_This song's for you._

_..._

Kurt found Blaine outside the stage door again after the show was over and after making sure Blaine's cast mates weren't close by he pulled Blaine closer.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you have a boyfriend? I just had to listen to stupid blond guy telling me how hot you are and how he would be all over you if you weren't straight."

Kurt had expected that Blaine would at least look guilty, but he just sighed.

"Look Kurt, this is Ohio and if I want to get hired here I sometimes can't afford to tell people about my private life. The audience here consists mostly of teenage girls who like to pretend they could have a chance with the performers and if you are nice to them, their parents tip you well."

Kurt understood where Blaine was coming from, but because he had never really been able to be in the closet he didn't see the need to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Nobody had asked him about his sexuality during his interview for the counselor position, but he would probably not tell any of the kids he had a boyfriend either, because not all parents were gay friendly.

"I just wish we lived in a world where we didn't have to hide our relationship to get jobs and stuff like that. I hate that we are discriminated against, and there's nothing we can do, unless we are prepared to take someone to court over it."

Blaine took a quick look around as well, before kissing Kurt chastely on the lips.

"You know I hate it too, but next year we'll be in New York and things will be easier for us there. I promise."

Kurt reluctantly let Blaine go once his break was over and Blaine promised to visit him at camp on one of his weekends off. He hated that he barely saw Blaine nowadays because they weren't living together anymore.

* * *

 

Burt had just gone into the kitchen to get Carole another soda, when he heard his wife groan in the living room where they were watching a movie.

"Not that guy again."

He quickly went back to her and watched the scene unfolding on screen. A middle-aged man was standing in front of an American flag as a voice over addressed the audience. The background then changed to pictures of the man posing with happy families, shut down adoption agencies and a proposed bill that would only allow married heterosexual couples to use surrogates.

"Don't you want your kids to grow up to become decent citizens? Then why would you let them be raised by homosexuals? A child needs a mother and a father, not two fathers or mothers. If you vote for me I promise to make sure that no child will ever be raised in such an unhealthy environment in Ohio again. I'm saying no to letting gays adopt children, no to allowing them to use surrogates. If you don't want to follow our rules, you're welcome to move. But I promise that in the future every child born in Ohio will have a mother and a father if you elect me as your next Ohio State Senator for district 12. I'm Richard Nelson, and I approve this message."

Burt's hands balled into fists.

"God, I hate this guy. He said in a newspaper interview that his laws wouldn't affect kids like Rachel because it's too late to save them, but if you illegally have a child under his proposed laws that kid will be placed into foster care. How can that be better than being raised by two loving parents?"

Carole patted the space on the couch next to her and put her arms around his shoulders after he had sat down.

"But it gets worse. You wouldn't be allowed to adopt a child your partner has from a previous relationship and kids would have to stay with the straight parent even if the other parent could proof the kid would be better off with him or her. People are afraid that if the law gets passed they wouldn't even be able to visit Ohio with their children without being in danger of having them taken away. And just when I found out Kurt could have kids after all."

"I know what you mean, Burt. The awful thing is that people are actually voting for him." He knew something had to be done to stop the guy, but he didn't know how. He was a mechanic not a politician and he didn't really know how these things worked. Could this guy really introduce a bill like this?

"The problem is that there is no opponent apart from the cheerleading coach from Kurt's high school, who isn't a real alternative. I don't really understand her crusade against the arts, when Kurt told us she gets all the funding and the only reason Glee club will exist next year is that Ms. Corcoran had taken them to Nationals as she had promised," Carole reminded him.

"At least it's still early in the elections. Maybe there will be other candidates before the vote in November." He really hoped so because what this man proposed was just horrible.

* * *

 After a two-hour drive during an already crazy hot Ohio summer day, Kurt, Rachel, Jesse and Tina finally piled out of Kurt's car at Camp Art. Kurt had always found it funny that the creators of an arts summer camp couldn't come up with a more creative name.

Tina had been bummed when Mike told her he couldn't come with them because his father made him spend his summer at med camp, so Kurt was really glad his dad wasn't inferring with his artistic aspirations anymore.

The four of them would be sharing one of the larger cabins together with two other teens they had yet to meet and Kurt made sure to get a bed as far away from the window as possible, because he didn't want to be the first meal for all the bugs who always managed to find a way inside.

Tina took the bed between Rachel and Jesse because no one wanted them to fool around when they had to be in the same room. They all quickly unpacked, before heading over to headquarters – a fancy name for the biggest cabin on the campground, to pick up information about their classes and the kids they would have in them.

After having lunch with some of the other counselors they went back to their cabin to get changed into their swimsuits, so they could enjoy the lake before the children swarmed it.

A girl with long dark hair was unpacking her suitcase when they went back inside and introduced herself as Harmony, Rachel's co-teacher. Kurt thought she was nice enough but he could see Rachel sizing up the competition from the corner of his eyes.

The last of their cabin mates joined them just as they were preparing to leave for the lake and Kurt offered to stay behind to wait for the new boy because he wanted to keep his skin out of the sun for as long as possible.

"Hi I'm Kurt, the four that just left are Tina, Rachel, Jesse and Harmony. Tina and Rachel go to my school in Lima and Jesse is starting at Julliard this fall. He's Rachel's boyfriend. We don't know Harmony yet," he introduced himself and his friends.

The boy looked at him slightly awestruck before giving Kurt a big smile and grabbing his hand to shake it enthusiastically.

"I'm Chandler. I'm from Lima as well. Can I just say you have amazing eyes. And that top – is that McQueen. Don't you just hate people who forgo style just because they are in swimsuits?"

Well, Kurt had most certainly not expected that. But it was nice to be appreciated for his style. Of course Blaine told him he was good looking, but that was sort of his obligation as his boyfriend.

"Well, I like you're hippo pin. I had one like that once but I lost it."

"That's too bad, I'm sure you wore it well."

Kurt Hummel might have just found a new best friend.

They spent the rest of the day swimming in the lake and the girls, Jesse and even Chandler managed to convince Kurt to join them when they went off to play volleyball.

Chandler kept giving him cheesy compliments all afternoon, for which Rachel shot him what she probably thought were meaningful looks, but he just found it adorable.

Kurt had had crushes on boys in the past, but before Blaine, no one had ever crushed on him apart from Mercedes and maybe Brittany. It wasn't like he was flirting with Chandler, and he didn't think Chandler was actually hitting on him.

It wasn't forbidden to date another counselor, but it was only the first day and no one in his sane mind would risk causing an embarrassing situation this early by hitting on someone who might reject you.

Rachel managed to corner him on the way back to the cabin and she quickly pulled him away from the rest of the group.

"What are you doing? You have Blaine!" Rachel didn't just seriously imply he would ever dump Blaine for some guy he just met?

"Okay, first of all, I'm not doing anything to encourage him. And secondly, of course I have Blaine."

"Then tell him that!"

"Come on Rachel, I don't even know if he's serious and what if I tell him and he tells others. You know not all parents would be happy about the fact that a gay guy is teaching their children. If he asks, of course I'll tell him, but until then it's really none of his business."

"Well, I hope you know what you are doing."

Rachel finally released his arm then and they joined the rest of the group as they headed to one of the dinning halls.

Before going to bed Kurt managed to squeeze in a short skype conversation with Blaine before heading to one of the dreaded community washrooms to do his moisturizing routine, where he promptly bumped into Chandler again, who complemented him on his perfect skin.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Kurt told him before starting to rub his skin cream into his face. He just hoped that Chandler didn't interpret what he had said as flirting.

On Monday they had their first day of work and where introduced to the kids and preteens in their group. Kurt had never been the biggest fan of kids, but most of them were just too cute.

The week passed quickly with lessons and hanging out at night with their group. Rachel still wasn't Harmony's biggest fan, especially after she learned that the girl had plans to move to New York the following summer as well, but Kurt just liked that he had another girl who was obsessed with show tunes and always offered to sing with him.

They had the weekend off, but Blaine had to cancel their plans because he had been asked to fill in for a co-worker. In the end he decided to stay at camp with the rest of their cabin, because if he went home he'd have to spend time with his family as well and that wouldn't leave much time for Blaine anyway. They could skype instead.

Jesse had managed to get them a few bottles of wine and some beer and they ended up throwing a small party down at the lake with the counselors from another cabin, away from the watchful eyes of the camp director.

Kurt usually wasn't one for drinking, especially after Blaine's experience at Scandals, but he had to admit that he had had fun at some of the Warbler parties where he hadn't been the designated driver.

He, Tina and Rachel decided to split a bottle of wine, and before they knew it, they were on their second. Everyone was relaxed though and had fun and even Rachel admitted, when Chandler briefly left them, that she found his cheesy pickup lines and attempts at flirting adorable.

Kurt didn't really mind when the younger boy sat down next to him and listened with wide eyes as Kurt and Rachel explained their college plans.

"It's too bad I'm only going to be a junior this fall. Wouldn't it have been amazing if we went to New York at the same time? We could go to the front of the Plaza and reenact the end of 'The way we were'."

Okay, maybe that was laying it on a little thick, but Kurt felt pleasantly buzzed and just smiled happily while looking out over the lake.

The next morning, unfortunately came with an awful headache, but luckily Rachel had enough aspirin to supply the entire cabin.

During his skype date later that night, he was telling Blaine about their party and was about to mention Chandler's cheesy compliments, when Blaine's mom came in and asked if he wanted to go see a movie with her.

Kurt couldn't be mad about this. After all, he had been the one to push Blaine to reconnect with his mom, and it was good that Tala made the effort to spend time with Blaine. He could tell Blaine about Chandler another time. It wasn't really that important.

Or so he thought.

The first day of the second week, Rachel and Harmony got into a fight over who would get to sing a solo from Wicked, while Kurt was trying to shake off Chandler who had become even more clingy after the party.

Wednesday night, Kurt was sitting at the dock watching the stars after he finished a phone call with Carole.

A branch snapped behind him and Kurt shot up, because he had seen enough horror movies in his life thanks to Blaine's obsession with them.

"Hey, it's just me. Can I sit with you for a moment?"

Of course it was Chandler. Kurt scooted over a bit to make space for the other boy, but Chandler sat down close to him.

They sat in silence for a while, but Kurt turned his head when he thought Chandler had said something and suddenly lips were being pressed against his own. It took him a few seconds before he pulled back, out of shock, but once he did, he jumped up and took a step back.

"Chandler, I have a boyfriend."

The other boy looked sad and Kurt felt bad for leading him on, even if he had thought Chandler just had a bit of a crush.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have asked first. Of course you have a boyfriend. You are gorgeous. Ah, sorry, I'll stop now."

"Chandler, wait. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Blaine sooner. I didn't mean to lead you on, but I didn't think you were really interested in me."

Chandler excused himself quickly afterward and Kurt let him leave because there wasn't anything he could do. For a moment he considered not telling Blaine about the kiss, but immediately discarded the idea. Not telling Blaine the truth about something had caused their last big fight after all.

He'd tell Blaine when he came up on Saturday and everything would be okay.

* * *

 

"I'm sorry Kurt, but I can't come up this weekend. Wes and David called and I made plans with them."

He knew Kurt wouldn't be happy about that, but he hadn't seen the two older boys in over a year.

"But if you don't come then we won't see each other for another week, and we already didn't get to see each other last week. Can't you meet them another day?"

Yep, Kurt wasn't happy.

"Kurt, I haven't seen them in a year and they are only in town for a few days. I miss you too, but I get to see you all the time."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

"I never see you anymore. But I don't want to fight with you again – not about this. I wanted you to visit because there was something I needed to tell you, but if you prefer me to tell you on the phone, so be it."

That didn't sound good. Kurt never had problems with telling him something over the phone unless it was really serious.

"What is it?" he asked dreading the answer.

"There is this guy at camp and he kissed me. I didn't kiss him back or anything and he apologized when I told him about you."

Oh good, Kurt wasn't planning on leaving him for another guy.

"Wait, so this guy just kissed you out of the blue? He didn't force you, right?" He didn't think the people at camp would be like that, but who knew?

"No, he ah, he's been paying me compliments all last week and we all thought he has a crush on me, but that that was it."

Why didn't Kurt tell him about this guy? Blaine took a deep, calming breath. He was not going to jump to conclusions again and let Kurt explain first.

"Why did the guy who was hitting on you not know about me?"

Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say again, because Kurt sounded angry when he answered.

"Like you told people about me. I didn't think he was seriously hitting on me and it was none of his business. If he had asked me, I would have told him of course, but I didn't know him that well, and was afraid he might say something in front of the kids about me dating a boy. I never confirmed nor denied that I'm gay when I was talking to him."

Damn, he had used that same argument when he defended his decision not to come out at his work place.

"I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I just don't like the fact that some guy was hitting on you, okay."

"Well, now you know how I feel when I have to watch other people hit on you. But I trust you not to cheat on me and I thought you trusted me as well, at least in that respect."

And they were back arguing about trust. He had forgiven Kurt about the situation with his mom, but Kurt just wouldn't let it go.

"I do trust you. Please let's not fight about this right now. Why don't you come down this weekend and join me, Wes and David. They are your friends too."

Blaine steeled himself for Kurt's rejection of the idea, because Kurt was nothing if not stubborn, but Kurt always zigged when Blaine thought he would zag, and agreed to go out with them.

Blaine hung up after promising to talk about the issue again when he saw Kurt in person, because he had promised Kurt to stop running away from problems and he intended to honor his promise, no matter how much he wanted to avoid dealing with certain issues.

* * *

 

Finn was out with Sarah and Kurt was still at camp, so Burt and Carole decided to invite some of their friends over for a BBQ.

The Lopez were busy with preparing their departure, but Hiram and LeRoy as well as Tala were sitting at a table in their backyard together with Carole as Burt flipped burgers on the grill.

It was nice to have an evening without any teenagers around and for a while they just enjoyed each other's company, catching up and enjoying Carole's mojitos.

The atmosphere changed though when Tala brought up Rick Nelson's campaign. LeRoy and Hiram were enraged, because the guy was directly attacking their family.

"I would run myself if I thought I could get elected," Hiram said furiously. "What we need is a normal guy that appeals to the people in our district regardless of party affiliation. You know the guy next door, who cares about what's wrong without distracting people with issues that shouldn't be issues."

Hiram of course was right. Nelson's campaign was based solely on fear and hatred. No word about the economy or health care. But if no one seriously challenged him, that would be the guy who’d be part of the Ohio State Senate for the next few years. The thought made him sick.

Carole distracted them all after a while by engaging Tala in a conversation about her fall plans, and LeRoy offered to take a look at Tala's prenup to figure out a way to get her out of her marriage without leaving her with nothing.

"Blaine and I are doing okay right now as it is, but I just want to be legally free from Jarred," Blaine's mom told them before turning back to Carole.

Burt sat down next to his wife as the two women talked.

"Santana's parents have asked me if she could stay with me and Blaine until they come back from Africa."

Burt was surprised to hear that. He had assumed Santana would stay with them again when her parents left Ohio.

"I'm not surprised," Carole told Tala though. "Santana had never been really happy about living with Finn. I know she told him to come back to Glee, but I don't think she ever really forgave him for outing her."

Burt hadn't even thought about that, probably because it seemed like Kurt had been able to forgive Finn.

"Nothing is decided yet, though. I still have to talk it over with Kurt and Blaine, so please don't say anything to them, until we get a chance to talk. I really don't want to be the cause of another fight."

Burt knew how she felt, because from what Carole had told him, he had been the cause of a fight between the two boys once as well.

Later that night, when everyone was gone, Burt and Carole were sitting on the couch together watching the news. The anchor announced a new segment called Sue's corner and they both watched as McKinley's cheerleading coach went on and on about how schools spend too much money on the arts instead of on special education.

It was a low blow, because every decent person had to agree that special education was important, but most people weren't aware that McKinley didn't even have proper wheel chair access because most of the school's budget went to the cheerleading squad.

There wasn't much they could do though, unless one of them ran on the democratic ticket and that was just ridiculous. Why would anyone vote for a mechanic with no more education then two years of junior college?

* * *

 

Kurt called Carole after his mini-argument with Blaine because he needed to vent and he couldn't really do that at camp because Chandler was always around and Kurt didn't want him to overhear that he caused an argument between Kurt and his boyfriend.

Carole, as always, listened patiently without taking sides, which was why Kurt liked her so much.

"It's just. I hate that I never get to see him because of both of our jobs and when we have a weekend off together he wants to spend it with his friends instead. I don't expect him to spend the whole day with me, but we haven't been on a date in like forever."

And okay, maybe that was his fault as well, because he could have come down for a few hours the previous weekend but he had been pissed that Blaine had offered to fill in for a co-worker.

"The summer isn't going to last forever and before you know it school will start again and then you'll see him all the time," Carole tried to placate him.

"But it's our first summer together. We couldn't spend last summer together and next year will be preparing to move to New York, and it probably will just get worse."

Kurt knew he was whining but he couldn't help it. It had been different when he'd been in Texas and Blaine in Ohio because he had known there was no way they could see each other, but now it felt like they didn't make enough of an effort.

"Tell you what. Burt and I have discussed going on a family vacation at the end of July. Nothing fancy. We're just going to a small hotel in Grand Haven because I loved Lake Michigan when I was growing up. Why don't you invite Blaine to come with us? I'm sure you could both use a vacation."

After the year he had had, a vacation did sound nice, especially if it meant getting to spend a whole week with Blaine.

"Thank you Carole. I'm going to talk to Blaine about it. And thanks for letting me vent."

"Any time honey," Carole assured him before hanging up. Kurt walked further down the pathway leading to the lake and sat down on one of the docks, after making sure he was alone.

Blaine picked up after the second ring and Kurt was glad he had caught him during a break.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure. You're not canceling our plans with Wes and David?" Blaine asked as Kurt took of his shoes and dipped his toes into the lake.

"No, I told you I'd come with you. Carole invited you to our family vacation end of July. We'll be heading up to Lake Michigan."

Kurt was glad his family would stay in a hotel because after four weeks of camp he didn't want to sleep in another cabin for at least a year.

"Oh, that's really nice of her, but I'm not sure I can."

"Why not? I know you can choose your own hours and with how much you've been working you can take a couple of days off."

"It's just not fair to the other performers."

"Oh please, you fill in for them all the time. What's this really about? Don't you want to go on a trip with me?"

This was getting ridiculous. Every time he had a day off, Blaine couldn't do something with him because he had to work.

"Of course I do. But I need the money for New York."

"Blaine, you have a trust fund. I know you don't like to spend your father's money, but that's different."

"Yeah, but what if I don't get that money?" Kurt gasped.

"Did something happen?"

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling because the family lawyer wants to talk to me about the trust fund before school starts."

That was is? He didn't understand why Blaine was so worried.

"He probably needs to discuss a few things with you. You know your father can't touch that money. You've told me it's from your grandfather who died before you came out."

Blaine sighed.

"You're probably right. But I don't want to find out that I can't go to college with you because I don't have the money."

"Blaine, please. Will you just come with me to the lake and we worry about these things after you've actually talked to the lawyer. It's not like my family has a ton of money either. We'll find a way to make it work if push comes to shove okay?"

All he wanted was one week with Blaine, without arguments or worrying about the future. They could do that once they actually started their senior year.

"Alright, let's go on a holiday together. I mean, I do miss living with your family, so that should be fun."

Kurt felt relieved when Blaine finally agreed. He couldn't wait for June to be over because even though it had been better than last year, it was still his least favorite month nowadays.


	2. July

Carole and Burt had invited their friends and neighbors for a fourth of July BBQ in their backyard, and so by the time Burt started the grill there was barely any space left in their yard. The boys had invited their Glee club and together with their parents there were close to forty people.

Carole kept a close eye on the neighbors because she was worried they might say something about Kurt and Blaine who were sharing a lawn chair in one corner of the backyard, but thankfully their neighbors didn't seem to be Nelson supporters.

She herself had read up a bit on Ohio politics to figure out how long people could announce their candidacy and what the job would actually entail. A few women were part of the Ohio State Assembly, which was a good sign, because Carole had decided that if no one else had announced a candidacy by the August deadline she would just run herself. Someone had to stand up for kids like Kurt, Blaine and Santana, and families like the Berrys. Unless of course – no she didn't want to think about that right now.

This weekend she wanted to celebrate with friends and family, finally having every member of her patchwork family under one roof again, at least for a few days. Carole had been a single mom for much longer than she cared for, and on some days she still couldn't believe she didn't just get a husband but two sons as well, because moving out or not, Blaine had become one of her boys as well in the time they lived together.

She was pulled out of her revelry when Tala came over.

"So I talked to Kurt and he agreed to come shopping with us next Saturday because Blaine has to work." Carole smiled at her. She knew it had been difficult for Tala at first, because she had gotten used to a certain lifestyle where her husband just bought her what he thought would look good on her, so she had offered Kurt's services.

"That's great. I don't know how he does it, but he always finds items for me I never thought I could afford, and according to him my wardrobe has greatly improved since he started taking me shopping."

They both laughed at that, because even though Tala hadn't known Kurt for long they had both been subjected to Kurt's criticism at least once.

"Well if LeRoy manages to work his magic as he promised, I'm going to buy that boy the coat he keeps talking about from the divorce settlement."

"So he thinks you have a chance even with the prenup?" Carole asked. Tala had been lucky she had been married for as long as she had, because at least she could stay in the country if she wanted and because Jarred had signed away his parental rights, she wouldn't lose Blaine to him in a divorce. But the prenup did state that she wouldn't get any money from him in case of a divorce.

"We're banking on Jarred wanting to avoid a scandal. I'm sure he'd want both me and Blaine to keep quiet about him kicking Blaine out or hitting me. LeRoy told him we would take him to court if necessary, so I think he's going to try and buy our silence, but that's fine with me. I just want to make sure Blaine and I have nothing to worry about money wise."

Carole had never met Blaine's father but from what she had been told she knew the guy was a homophobic and misogynist jerk. "You should take him to court either way so he gets what he deserves," Carole muttered, but Tala shook her head.

"Blaine doesn't want that. He says he wants to leave it all behind and I agree. I just want it to be over." Carole pulled Tala into a hug before the two women walked over to where their kids were sitting together, Blaine and Finn in a heated discussion about college football.

Yes, life was good right now and that's all she wanted to focus on at the moment. She would leave her worries for later.

* * *

 

Burt was enjoying a nice cold beer and another burger he had managed to sneak past Carole, waiting for the fireworks to start, when Finn approached him, looking pissed.

"I just talked to mom, and she told me Kurt gets to bring Blaine with him to the lake." Burt nodded. "What's the problem, Finn? I thought you got a long well with Blaine."

"I do. But why don't I get to invite Sarah?" Oh great, so they were entering another round of why is Kurt allowed to do something I'm not allowed to do?

"He probably just threatens to move out and gets to do whatever he wants because you don't want him to leave." Burt was actually glad, that Kurt hadn't thought about that yet. So far, he had gotten lucky because Blaine and Kurt hadn't see each other that much during the last couple of weeks but he dreaded telling Kurt that Blaine would still have to sleep in his old bedroom if he stayed over.

"Well, for one, Kurt and Blaine have been a couple for a long time and Blaine was part of our family for most of the year," he reminded Finn yet again. "And secondly, Kurt is eighteen and you are not. I also doubt that Sarah's parents would let their sixteen year old daughter go on a vacation with her boyfriend of four months."

"Four and a half months," Finn argued back and Burt shook his head exasperatedly. "Finn."

"Fine, they probably won't allow it, but you could have at least invited her. It's not fair."

He really should have expected something like this when Carole invited Blaine to join them on their trip. They tried to have the same rules for the boys, but the fact was, Kurt was eighteen, Finn was not. At home they had to follow the same general rules regarding having boyfriends and girlfriends in their bedrooms, but apart from that, Kurt had more liberties.

Burt understood that that sucked for Finn, but until his stepson turned eighteen the following April, Burt and Carole still made the rules and that was final.

"Look, if you and Sarah are still dating next summer you can bring her along as well, deal?" Finn still didn't look too happy, but he mumbled what sounded like "fine" in Burt's direction.

"If it makes you feel better, I let you choose if you want to share a room with Kurt or Blaine," Burt offered but Finn just looked at him confusedly.

"I'm not getting my own room?" "Sorry, but the hotel was pretty much booked and we only managed to get three rooms. You'll live."

"I guess. So, if I can get a beer, I promise I'll stop complaining," Finn tried after a moment of silence, and Burt nearly fell out of his lawn chair, because he was laughing so hard. He should never have given Finn that beer all those months ago.

"I guess that means no?" Finn asked, voice still hopeful though and Burt rolled his eyes. Finn apparently finally got the message that it wasn't happening and walked off to join the other teenagers in their backyard.

"What’s so funny?" Carole asked as she sat down next to him just as Finn had left. "Nothing really, your son just tried to bribe me with good behavior if I shared my beer with him."

"And I hope you didn't. You promised last time would be the only time," his wife reminded him, both eyebrows raised at him. Of course he hadn't managed to keep it a secret that he had given Finn beer back in Austin, because he just couldn't lie to Carole.

"Speaking of beer, do you want one?" he asked her, pulling a cold can from the cooler next to his chair. Carole shook her head. "No, I'm good."

Burt just shrugged and put the can back into the cooler. More for him.

"So is Finn going to be okay?" Carole wanted to know after they had both watched the fireworks for a while.

"Yeah, I guess sometimes the fact that he isn't an only child anymore is hard for him." "Well, there was always the chance he wouldn't stay an only child," Carole said. She was right of course. He had always hoped that he could somehow get his two families to meet, even if it was just for a summer. Of course that was before everything that happened last year happened.

"Mhm, I guess you're right." They dropped the subject after that and watched the rest of the fireworks explode over their neighborhood.

* * *

 

Blaine had to work again on Saturday but they had agreed to go out for dinner later that night and Kurt would stay over at his old house with him afterward.

As promised, he, Carole and Tala left for the mall early in the morning and they spent the next couple of hours searching for affordable yet stylish outfits for his stepmom and Blaine's mom.

Close to noon they decided to take a break and Kurt offered to buy some drinks for them at the food court so they could rest their legs. Kurt wasn't tired at all, but he was the king of shopping after all.

When Kurt returned from the food court with the drinks for Carole and Tala he found the two women sitting on a bench in front of JC Penny. Carole looked worried as Tala was talking to her.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop – again – but he was curious to know what got Carole so worried.

"Are you sure?" Blaine's mom asked and Carole shook her head. "All I know is I'm late but that's it." Late for what Kurt wondered. And why would his stepmom be worried about that?

"Then we should get you a test to make sure," Tala suggests and Carole immediately agreed. "Let's wait till Kurt goes into another store though, I don't want him to find out about this."

Now he was even more confused. What was Carole hiding? He was missing something here, big time.

He announced his presence and Carole and Tala immediately stopped talking as soon as they spotted Kurt. He handed them both their drinks and after they had finished, he announced that he would visit the outlet store to check if they still had the coat he'd been eyeing for a few weeks now. Carole and Blaine's mom told him to go ahead and that they would meet in front of the Gap in half an hour.

Once he was out of sight he turned around and peeked around the corner. He felt like a spy as he slowly followed the two women through the mall. He was surprised when they left the mall and even more so when they crossed the street and walked right into a Walmart.

Kurt pushed his sunglasses on his face because if someone spotted him at Walmart they would have prime blackmail material.

He nearly lost Carole and Tala at some point, but at least it wasn't difficult to hide between all the other shoppers. He spotted them again just as Carole grabbed something from the female hygiene aisle, and she and Tala left afterward.

He had no idea what Carole could have bought that had to be kept a secret but once he reached the spot Carole had been in he picked up a box and then promptly dropped it again. He must have grabbed the wrong product because there was no way that … just no way.

He barley made it back to the Gap in time and once he met up with Carole and Tala again he told them he wasn't feeling so well, so he better went home to take a nap before his date.

If they found his behavior strange, they didn't mention it and soon they arrived back at the house where he said a quick see you later to Tala and pretty much ran into the house, nearly colliding with Finn.

"You and me, my bedroom now," he told Finn as soon as he found his balance again and when Finn didn't react and just stared at him, he grabbed him by the hand and dragged him upstairs to his bedroom.

* * *

 

Finn was staring at his stepbrother as if he had just grown a second head. "No way dude, just no way." Kurt must have been in shock too, because he didn't even tell Finn not to call him dude.

"Maybe you took the wrong thing?" he suggested because that was better than the alternative. Burt and his mom were way too old for that.

"There was nothing else there, Finn, and I don't think your mom would have snuck out just to buy tampons," Kurt shot back. "Maybe she didn't want to embarrass you?" Finn knew Kurt was rolling his eyes before he even looked at him.

"Yes Finn and that's why she needed Blaine's mom to help her." Finn usually wasn't that good when it came to detecting sarcasm but even he managed to recognize that Kurt was being sarcastic right now.

"But they are so old. Old people don't have babies?" Finn shuddered.

"Well to be fair, your mom is only thirty-five. That's not that old." That was not the point. If his mom was pregnant, that meant she and Burt had … no he didn't want to go there. He shuddered again, and Kurt catching on to his train of thought grimaced as well.

"What are we going to do about it, though? As much as I like having you as a brother now, I don't need another sibling. I mean we're going to college next year." " I agree Finn, but there's nothing we can do. And your mom said she wasn't sure." Maybe he should pray to Grilled Jesus again so his mom wouldn't be pregnant. It just seemed so wrong.

"Well first, we have to find out what that test says so we can prepare ourselves. Do you think she took it already," he asked Kurt who was chewing his nails, a very un-Kurt like behavior.

"I don't know Finn. I'm gay, I have no idea how those test work." Finn tried to remember what his ex-girlfriend had said when she thought she was pregnant. Luckily the test had been negative and he had found out she was cheating on him, because when he told his mom she explained that you can't get a girl pregnant the way Finn had thought he had gotten his then girlfriend pregnant.

"My ex took it in the morning," he blurted out, cursing his brain for having no filter. Kurt gaped at him open mouthed. "Don't tell me you have a child somewhere in Austin."

Finn immediately shook his head. "She wasn't pregnant and it wouldn't have been mine because we didn't have real sex," he blushed as he said this, remembering the last conversation about sex he had with Kurt that hadn't turned out so well.

Kurt just raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment, for which Finn was grateful.

"Okay, so we keep an eye on my mom to find out what's going on," Finn suggested and Kurt nodded.

"You'll have to take the first shift though because I'm spending the night with Blaine. But I see if I can't convince him to come over here for breakfast," Kurt told him and Finn felt a bit jealous again, because he was barely allowed to have Sarah in his bedroom. At her house they even had to stay in the living room. But he was also happy for Kurt because that's what good brothers did, right?

"So are you okay again, then? I heard you got into a fight." Okay, so he might have overheard Rachel and Kurt talking about it during the BBQ.

Kurt hesitated for a moment before he answered. "Yeah, I think we're good now. I got upset about a few things and he got upset because another guy kissed me at camp, but we talked it out and now we both just want to move forward."

"Woah, you cheated on Blaine and he forgave you just like that? I mean I have been cheated on before and it just sucks." His brother rolled his eyes and Finn didn't understand why Kurt didn't take it more seriously.

"I didn't cheat on Blaine. The other guy kissed me because he didn't know I had a boyfriend but I didn't kiss him back, okay." Oh, that was different then, right? If something like that would happen to Sarah though, he would find the guy and punch him.

Kurt suddenly chuckled. "A year ago, would you have imagined you and I would ever talk about our relationships together." Finn shook his head. He had been a jerk last year and if Kurt would have tried to talk to him about his boyfriend he would have run away screaming. But he had spent enough time with Kurt and Blaine since then to see that were just a regular couple and he was proud that it didn't bother him at all anymore when he caught them kissing.

He told Kurt as much – the jerk part – he didn't need to know the rest. Kurt got up then and told Finn he had to get ready for his date, because Blaine would be here in 2 hours. Finn just rolled his eyes. He had learned by now, not to question Kurt's pre-date routine.

"So I'll let you know if there is any development before you come home tomorrow morning, okay?" he told Kurt before his brother left to get ready.

When he had been younger he always wanted to have a younger brother, but he didn't need that anymore. He had an older brother now, that though often annoying could be really awesome as well.

* * *

 

When Blaine came home with Kurt the following morning, they found Finn kneeling in front of his parents' bedroom. Blaine had no idea why Kurt insisted they'd have breakfast at the Hudmel house, but Finn's strange behavior probably had something to do with it.

"Any development?" Kurt whispered as they reached Finn and crouched down next to his brother.

"Mom and Burt are both inside. I think they are doing it now," Finn answered, whispering as well. Okay what was going on?

"Anyone care to fill me in why I had to forgo my mom's pancakes?" he asked the brothers as he sat down as well. "We're spying on mom and Burt," Finn told him as if that was a normal occurrence.

"And I'm here for that, why?" Definitely a question for his boyfriend. Not that he minded spending time with Kurt, but he could come up with a few things that were a lot more fun than spying on Kurt's parents.

"Because you picked me up last night and I needed to get home in time."

Finn suddenly jumped up and ran down the stairs, surprisingly without making too much noise. He returned only moments later with three empty glasses. When he saw Blaine's expression he shrugged. "It works in the movies, dude."

Kurt and Finn immediately pressed the glasses against the door, but Blaine was a bit more hesitant.

"Should you really be doing this? I mean whatever your parents are trying to hide, I'm sure they have a good reason," he tried to argue, but Kurt shushed him.

"Stop talking, please. I need to hear what they are saying." "Yeah, dude. We need to know if my mom's pregnant or not," Finn continued.

Blaine nearly dropped his glass. Carole was pregnant? He had always wanted a younger sibling because he and his half-brother had only met a couple of times, but for whatever reason, his parents didn't have another child after him.

"Wow, that's great," he enthused but when he saw Kurt and Finn's expression he amended. "Or it isn't?"

"It's not, but if it's true we'd like to prepare for the inevitable and who knows when Carole and my dad would tell us about it."

Blaine didn't really understand what the problem was, but he and Kurt could talk about that later. Suddenly his boyfriend sat up straighter and pressed the glass harder against the door.

"What's happening?" Okay, now he was curious as well, sue him. Kurt motioned to the third glass and Blaine reluctantly pressed it against the door next to Kurt's. Blaine just prayed that no one would open the door from the inside right now, because they must look ridiculous.

Burt and Carole's voices were faint put he could still pick up on what was being said.

"How much longer?" Carole asked and Burt told her that it was less than a minute. Kurt gripped Blaine's hand and squeezed it hard, probably not even realizing what he was doing.

Waiting was torture and Blaine was glad he would never be in a situation where he would stare at a pregnancy test, hoping he wouldn't become a teen father.

"I think we can look now," Carole's voice came through the door and Blaine unconsciously leaned forward.

"What does it say?" Burt sounded nervous which didn't surprise Blaine at all.

He didn't pay attention for a moment, but in the end he didn't need to hear Carole's answer, because Finn and Kurt's faces fell all of a sudden.

Positive.

 

* * *

 

Burt was staring at his wife's positive pregnancy test not realizing his kids were spying on them.

"What now?" he asked because when Carole told him they needed to talk, this was the last thing he'd expected.

"Well obviously I need to see a doctor to be sure. I'll see if she can squeeze me in before our trip."

Burt pulled Carole into a tight embrace because she looked like she could need a hug. Truth be told, he needed one himself, because if he was quite honest, he was a bit shocked. He was nearly forty now and their kids would be off to college in a year. Did he really want to deal with a baby again?

It didn't really matter though what he thought. Whatever Carole decided they should do, he'd be one hundred percent behind her.

For a few moments they just held each other in silence until Carole jumped up and threw the test into the trashcan.

"Why did this have to happen now?" she cried out. "I wanted to run against that Nelson jerk if no one else did."

Burt shouldn't have been surprised at all that Carole wanted to take on that ass. Not for the first time he wished he had her courage.

He took her hand into his and uncurled the fists she had made to lace their fingers together. Once he had her full attention, he spoke again.

"It's okay. You can still do that even if you are really pregnant. Okay? We'll make it work. If this is something you are passionate about, we'll find a way," he tried to assure his wife, who had started crying while he spoke.

After a brief moment where Burt could see Carole think things over she nodded and gave him a watery smile. They shared a brief kiss before Carole went into the bathroom to clean up, and Burt sat down on the bed, his shoulders slumped.

He thought about what their future would entail if they had another child, and after thinking about his past experiences he finally realized they could have it worse.

He'd dealt with an unplanned pregnancy before when he was still in school, and for the first few years they had managed to make it work. Now that he had the shop and a loving family, having another baby should be a piece of cake.

* * *

 

A week after they had discovered Carole's secret, his family left Lima early in the morning. As much as Kurt had been looking forward to the vacation, the trip to Grand Haven was a nightmare though. His father had insisted that they'd only take one car, so he, Blaine and Finn were squashed together in the backseat, Blaine taking the middle because he was the shortest.

His dad had also enforced a one suitcase per person rule, but after much complaining Finn and Blaine had offered him space in their suitcases. He knew the other boys didn't really understand, but he needed his clothes like he needed air.

The whole scene in the car was like something out of a ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ episode. They constantly had to stop because Finn had to drink three slushies during the first twenty miles and Carole got "car sick" a lot. When they actually were on the road his dad was torturing them with country music and didn't let them switch to another station as long as he was driving.

Even Blaine was annoying because he insisted on playing car games with Finn instead of cuddling with Kurt. He did feel bad for snapping at Blaine later on though when his boyfriend told him it was the first time he ever got to do this.

Still, Kurt couldn't wait for the four and a half hour drive to be over, so he could take a nap with Blaine in a hopefully comfortable hotel bed. He might even be convinced to play some Frisbee at the beach, if he was asked extra nicely.

* * *

 

Close to Grand Haven, Burt was ready to kick the three boys in the backseat out of the car just so he wouldn't have to listen to their constant bickering and complaining any longer. But luckily Carole managed to keep the peace somehow.

When they finally arrived around noon, Burt quickly checked them in and grabbed the three room keys from the woman at the reception. Fortunately, his and Carole's was far away from the boys'. He handed Carole the first one before turning to Finn, Kurt and Blaine.

"Finn, this is the key for your and Kurt's room," he explained as he handed out the remaining keys.

When Carole, Finn and Blaine saw Kurt's expression the quickly excused themselves and Burt wished he could do the same thing, but he had to be the responsible parent here.

"I'm not rooming with Finn," Kurt told him once the others had left. Burt sighed. "I asked Finn to choose between you and Blaine and he chose you because he knows you longer. I'm sorry we couldn't get you all your own room, but the hotel didn't have any more vacancies," he explained, hoping Kurt would just accept it.

"We don't need another room. I'm staying with Blaine," Kurt glared at him when he announced his decision and Burt sighed again. They had already gotten into an argument when Burt told him Blaine had to stay in his old bedroom if he wanted to spend the night, and it had resulted in Kurt spending the night at Blaine's instead. He didn't know what Tala's rules were, but those were not his decisions anyway.

"I'm sorry but I'm not comfortable with that. Just because we are on a vacation doesn't mean the rules suddenly change," he informed his son, hoping to avoid an argument in the hotel lobby. Kurt seemed to have realized where they were as well because he quickly walked upstairs with Burt following behind him.

As soon as the reached they second floor, Kurt turned to face him though. "If I'd known you'd be like that, we wouldn't have come and gone on our own vacation," he practically growled.

"Please Kurt, don't be like that. You know we want you here with us," Burt tried to placate his son, but it clearly wasn't working.

"You should know it's pointless to put me into another room when I'm going to spend the night with Blaine anyway. What are going to do about that – sit in front of my door all night? Blaine and I have been having sex since December. I think it's about time you'd get over it."

Burt knew it was the worst reaction possible, but he flinched. He ended up reading Kurt's pamphlets after all when the boys went to Columbus and he just didn't understand why someone would want to do stuff like that.

Unfortunately, Kurt seemed to have caught on to his train of thoughts and he took a step back, hurt evident in his eyes.

"I'm sorry that you think the way I have sex is gross," he whispered as he obviously was trying to fight back tears. Burt knew he had to do damage control and fast.

"It's not like that," he tried to convince his son but judging by Kurt's expression he wasn't very successful.

"It's just that assuming something and knowing something are not the same. No parent wants to know something like this about their child, no matter if they are gay or straight."

Oh how he wished that was true. He loved his son very much and now that he understood the gay thing better, he was willing to defend his son's right to love whoever he wanted tooth and nail, but that didn't mean his was completely comfortable with all aspects of Kurt's life.

There was only one way to avert a crisis and he was not happy that he had navigated himself into a corner and had to give in to his son's demand.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Kurt, because I swear I didn't mean to. So how about this? If Finn is okay with you and Blaine sharing a room you can, but you have to respect his decision," he told his son who was hugging himself a few steps away.

"What does Finn have to do with that? He'll be glad to have his own room," Kurt argued and Burt shook his head.

"Finn wasn't too happy you are allowed to bring your boyfriend when he wasn't even allowed to invite his girlfriend," he explained before asking Kurt if they had a deal.

Kurt mulled it over for a couple of seconds, before he finally nodded. Burt breathed out a sigh of relief. He knew, he and Kurt weren't really okay right now, but he would make it up to his son somehow.

They both parted after the decision had been reached and Burt couldn't wait to get back to Carole to tell her what had happened in the hallway. She would know how to make things better.

* * *

 

Finn was lounging on his bed when there was a knock on the door. He quickly got up and let Kurt in, who looked a bit distraught.

"Are you okay? I mean did you and Burt get into a fight?" Finn knew Kurt wasn't any happier about the house rules than he was and Burt not allowing Kurt to room with Blaine must surely have pissed him off.

Kurt shrugged and sat down on the second bed in the room. "He said it's your decision if I can stay with Blaine," he finally said after staring at the bedspread for a bit.

Great now he was the bad guy if he said no. He still didn't think it was fair that Kurt was allowed to do things he wasn't but he was trying to be more understanding now that his mom had talked to him about it all. And maybe she was right to be concerned, because for a few days she had thought she'd become a grandmother at thirty-four.

"I guess you are going to stay with him regardless of what I say, right?" he asked instead of giving Kurt an answer. Kurt nodded immediately because he probably figured Finn would find out anyway.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked and Kurt nodded again. "You and Blaine, you have sex, right?" His brother blushed and avoided his eyes but he still nodded.

"Okay, so if you promise to keep it down I'm going to say yes because this way you owe me a favor if I want to do something our parents won't allow, deal?" Finn offered and Kurt who was still tomato red, took his hand and shook it.

As soon as Finn released Kurt's hand, Kurt jumped up and walked over to the door, but Finn stopped him before he could leave, because he was curious all of a sudden.

"How does that even work? I mean you are both boys. Doesn't it get boring if blowjobs are all you can do?" He himself had only gotten a few from his ex-girlfriend and he didn't think he could ever not like them, but he also couldn't wait to have proper sex with a girl one day.

If Kurt was red before, he turned scarlet now. "I, I don't, I mean, what makes you think that?" Kurt stuttered out after he regained his composure.

Now it was Finn's turn to avert his eyes, but more out of guilt than embarrassment, because one of the insults his so-called friends in Texas had written on Kurt's locker had been cocksucker.

To avoid talking about that chapter of their lives he just shrugged instead of providing an answer.

When he finally looked up again, Kurt was watching him with a curious expression on his face but fortunately he didn't comment on Finn's behavior. Instead he brought the conversation back to Finn's question.

"Look, Finn. I really don't want to tell you details here, but if you really want to know I can give you the pamphlets my dad gave me once, if you agree to never talk to me about it again. Suffice it to say that Blaine and I are enjoying what we have, and that is all I'm going to say concerning the subject."

Finn nodded, because in the end it was probably better for their relationship if Kurt didn't tell him all the gory details.

"Can I go now? I really need to unpack before my clothes start to wrinkle," Kurt told him, hand already in the door knob.

Finn let him go and threw his own clothes in some drawers. He also wrote himself a note reminding him to buy earplugs because the last thing he wanted was overhear Kurt and Blaine do stuff, because curious or not, some things he just didn't want to hear.

* * *

 

Blaine had already unpacked and was nervously bouncing his knee up and down while he waited for Kurt to come by and tell him about the argument with Burt. It was probably only half an hour, but to him it felt more like hours had passed when Kurt finally knocked on the door.

To Blaine's surprise Kurt had his suitcase with him, which he promptly dropped in front of the wardrobe.

"Kurt, you heard what your dad said. I really don't want us to get into trouble with your dad after he was so nice and invited me to come along," he told his boyfriend who was determinately unpacking his suitcase.

"It's okay. I have permission to be here, but trust me it was hard earned."

Blaine took Kurt's hand into his hoping he would elaborate but Kurt shook his head and told him he would tell him another time. Blaine knew Kurt well enough by now to know not to push his boyfriend when he didn't want to talk about something that was bothering him and so he let it go for now.

"And you're sure it's okay with everyone?" he asked instead because he knew Finn got jealous the last time Kurt got to spend the night with him.

Apparently Finn had telepathic abilities because he knocked on the door before Kurt could answer. In his hands he had part of Kurt's clothes, which he dumped unceremoniously on the bed once he stepped inside.

"Hey Finn, Kurt just told me he can stay with me and I wanted to make sure that was okay with you," he told the giant teenager before he could leave the room again. Finn just shrugged and told him he was cool with it before telling them to be downstairs in ten minutes so they could all get some lunch.

The door closed behind him and before he could register what was happening he was being pressed against the door by Kurt who immediately started to kiss him passionately. When they both drew back to catch their breaths, Kurt smiled at him before leaning in close again and whispered into his ear.

"Finally alone. I've wanted to do that all day."

Blaine didn't get a chance to answer because Kurt's lips were back on his and his tongue was soon occupied with Kurt's. He was panting hard when Kurt released him again and Blaine wanted nothing more than tear Kurt's stupid layers off of him. He would probably never understand why his boyfriend needed that many layers on a hot summer day.

Kurt didn't give him much time though for coherent thought as he pressed his whole body against Blaine's which pressed Blaine further against the door. He knew they had to stop what they were doing soon because they had to meet Kurt's parents for lunch, but in that moment he couldn't care less about food.

Kurt tasted like the coffee he had during one of their stops and that was the best taste right now. Unfortunately Kurt seemed to realize they were pressed for time as well, because he released Blaine after his tongue had thoroughly explored his mouth again.

They quickly fixed their hair and straightened out their clothes, but before Blaine could open the door, Kurt leaned in again to whisper seductively.

"Just a little taste of what's to come later."

Blaine couldn't wait for later to come, Burt and Finn be damned. He was a teenage boy with a very hot boyfriend after all.

* * *

 

Kurt usually loved spending time with Carole but when she asked him to join her on a shopping trip after a tense lunch where his dad had been overly polite to him, he was tempted to refuse and get back into his room with Blaine.

But even though they had a good relationship, that wasn't something you told your stepmom, liberal or not.

So he spend the afternoon with Carole helping her pick out a bathing suit while subtly trying to find out more information about the baby, but Carole either didn't understand what he was hinting at or she refused to talk about it with him. Either way, he gave up after a while and counted down the hours till he could get back to the hotel.

Unfortunately, his father insisted they'd go on a walk together after dinner, but once they got back to the hotel around nine they were finally allowed to go their own way. Kurt wanted nothing more than grab Blaine's hand and race back to the room with him, but Finn and his parents were on the same floor and so he walked up slowly with them before saying good night to his family outside of his and Blaine's room.

As soon as they were inside though all bets were off. They pretty much flew into each other's arms and before long Kurt was sucking on Blaine's neck until his boyfriend stopped him because he didn't want to go swimming with hickeys he couldn't hide.

Kurt just moves back to Blaine's lips and tangled their tongues in a heated dance while simultaneously trying to take Blaine's shirt off. They reluctantly parted for a few seconds to take off both of their shirts and once it was done, Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him onto the bed with him.

"What's with you and hotel rooms?" Blaine gasped and Kurt smiled at him bashfully. He was not going to apologize for being turned on by his boyfriend. It didn't matter if his dad thought what they were doing was gross or wrong, what was important was that Blaine didn't think that way about Kurt and his was the only opinion that mattered.

Kurt pushed Blaine further up on the bed before straddling his hips and leaning down for another passion filled kiss. He could feel how much Blaine was enjoying what they were doing and pressed his own body even closer.

They quickly pulled off the rest of their clothes when they came apart from their kiss and Kurt had Blaine moaning his name in no time. He was a bit worried about breaking his promise to Finn but all thoughts about that left him when Blaine did something particularly spectacular with his tongue.

If he hadn't been so turned on he might have been a bit embarrassed about how quickly they both finished but all that didn't matter once he was cuddled up in Blaine's arms drifting off to sleep. All he knew was that he couldn't wait for the day when he got to share a bed with Blaine every night, because falling asleep and waking up next to him was the best feeling in the world.

* * *

 

The next morning the whole family went to the beach after breakfast and while Carole and Kurt set up under two huge beach umbrellas, Finn and Blaine stretched out next to them on some oversized towels.

After much coaxing Carole and Kurt agreed to join the rest of the family in a game of Frisbee and Carole thought that day was amazing, but also a little strange.

She had noticed the tense silence between Kurt and Burt during lunch the day before but Burt had explained what had happened in the hallway, so she wasn't surprised.

What was strange however, was the boys' behavior when it came to her. One of them was always around making sure she had something to drink or to fetch her some fruit during the day. Kurt even stopped the game of Frisbee after a while and told her to sit down in the shades because the sun wasn't good for her.

Additionally, Finn barely managed to look at Kurt and Blaine and when she asked her son about it he mumbles something that sounded like earplugs.

When she asked Burt if he noticed the boys' strange behavior he just shrugged and told her to not question it and enjoy being waited on.

Carole decided to take his advice then and stopped paying too much attention to the boys' actions. After all, a beautiful day like that didn't need her worries.

They decided to go on a little boat ride after lunch and Carole brought a paper bag with her just in case because she knew car rides and boats made her sick from time to time.

The boys eyed the bag in her hand suspiciously, but luckily didn't comment on it for which Carole was grateful because she was already embarrassed she had thrown up during the car ride to Grand Haven.

Luckily she managed the ride without making a fool out of herself again and they ended the day without further incidents, even though the boys were still acting weird.

Carole pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the talk she still needed to have with Burt instead. They had avoided talking about the issue since they left the OB GYN's office but she knew it was important for them to talk about it.

After dinner, she promised herself before joining her family in a game of Marco Polo.

 

* * *

 

"We haven't really talked about what the doctor said yet. How do you feel about it?" Carole asked her husband as they were watching the sunset from their balcony. She herself had experienced a myriad of feelings when her OB GYN had told her that getting her period after three positive tests probably meant she lost the baby without noticing it; as was actually quite common in the first trimester according to her doctor.

"Sad mainly, but also a bit relieved," Burt confessed before he continued. "It's not that I wouldn't want another child with you, but I just hadn't expected it, you know?" Carole nodded, because she had felt pretty much the same. It wouldn't be the end of the world because she was only thirty-five, the same age as many women who had their first child.

"So are you saying that is something you wanted?" Ever since she thought she was pregnant, she couldn't stop thinking about how empty their home would be next year when the boys went off to college. Maybe, scratch that, hopefully Burt was feeling the same.

"I don't know. Next year it's just going to be the two of us and that could be amazing, but I feel like I missed out on so much with Kurt that it would be nice to get another chance to do it right. Maybe we could have a little girl."

Carole took Burt's hand and looked him straight in the eye. "So are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked because she had to make sure they were on the same page.

Burt kissed her softly before he replied, a huge smile on his face. "We're going to have a baby." Carole launched herself at Burt, because she hadn't wanted to admit, not even to herself, how much she wanted that until Burt said it too.

"But what about what we talked about? Maybe we should wait a couple more months?" she wondered out loud. Maybe right now wasn't the best time to start trying to get pregnant.

"We'll make it work. I promise." Carole knew that Burt had made a lot of empty promises in his life, but so far he had never broken the ones he made to her. If he were sure that they would make it work, they would make it work.


	3. August

The weekend before Finn left for football camp in Texas, the Hummel-Hudsons plus Tala, Blaine and Sarah got together for dinner in the Hudmel's backyard, where they had yet another BBQ.

Burt had decided to invite Finn's girlfriend over as well, because he wanted to avoid another argument with Finn, and Tala and Blaine were invited because Tala wanted to share some news with them.

The group of seven was sitting at a large table in the backyard enjoying Burt's burgers and steaks, but Carole noticed that the boys were still acting strange. Kurt had replaced the steak she wanted to have with one that wasn't rosy anymore and when she tried to get a glass of wine in the kitchen, Finn followed her and stopped her from pouring it.

"Okay, Finn, what's wrong?" she asked exasperatedly. "Can you not drink that mom?" Finn asked, because alcohol wasn't good for pregnant women. Carole raised an eyebrow at her son. Since when was her having a drink a problem.

"Ahm," Finn stuttered, trying to come up with a reason that wouldn't give away that he knew his mother's secret. "Sarah's mom drinks too much, so Sarah doesn't like to see other people drink," he told her, proud of his lying skills.

"You do realize that Tala and Burt are drinking as well," Carole reminded him, but Finn shrugged. "It's not like I can tell Blaine's mom what to do." Carole put down her glass and sighed.

"I'll go and talk to them," she promised Finn who looked relieved. "Thanks, mom. And can you please not tell Sarah I told you," Finn asked his mother who nodded. Now he just had to keep Sarah's parents from his own lest Carole would talk to Sarah's mom about her drinking problem.

When Finn came back outside after a trip to the bathroom, everyone at the table was raising a glass of sparkling cider in a toast to Blaine's mom.

"What did I miss?" he asked his girlfriend when he sat down next to her. "Blaine's mom got her divorce finalized and got a nice settlement out of it," Sarah whispered into Finn's ear before she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Finn smiled because he was happy that Blaine and his mom didn't have to deal with Blaine's asshole father anymore. He had learnt in the past year that Burt wasn't perfect either, but after what he had heard about Blaine's dad, Burt was the best dad ever.

All in all it was a successful evening and if anyone noticed the tension between Kurt and Burt that still existed no one mentioned it. The Hudson-Hummels told their guests about the trip to lake Michigan, leaving out details that were private of course, while Sarah told them about the med camp she attended with Mike and Tala also announced that she would be joining Carole at community college in a few weeks to get a college degree herself.

Everyone could see how proud Blaine was that his mom was finally doing things for herself and had gotten away from his father.

When it was time for everyone to leave, Kurt tried to leave with Blaine, but Burt put his foot down and told him to stay because his brother would be leaving for three weeks the following morning.

Kurt would have started another argument with his father if Blaine hadn't intervened and promised him they could spend the next day together as he didn't have to work.

The Hudson-Hummels weren't a perfect family, at least not yet, but things had improved a lot over the past year and Burt vowed, not for the first time, to do his best to bring them all together for the last year the boys were living at home.

* * *

 

His first day at football camp, Finn breathed out a sigh of relief when he realized that no one from his former school was there. He had been afraid to be faced with people who knew what had happened at McCullum the previous fall because he wanted to just focus on football this time instead of having to deal with all the crap that surrounded it before.

He wanted to get back on the football team, because he enjoyed playing and was hoping to get a football scholarship for college because his grades still weren't the best, not because he thought it would make him super popular again.

The past year had taught him that having friends he could count on was so much more important than being on top because people feared you, not because they respected you.

The first few days at camp were actually great and Finn relished the feeling of wearing his pads again and being out on the field, but as always the peace didn't last long, unfortunately.

The Friday after their first week Finn and the rest of the guys got together for a small party to get to know one another a bit better. He was on his second beer when Toby, a tall sophomore, spoke up next to him.

"So Finn, how come you came to camp in Texas when you live in Ohio?" he asked the question Finn had avoided answering so far.

"Um, I lived here until about a year ago, " Finn told him, keeping his answer vague, but unfortunately the other guys were suddenly interested as well.

"Which school, man?" Mark, a senior like himself, wanted to know. "I thought you looked familiar somehow.

Finn didn't really want to tell them because he didn't know if they had heard about "the incident" but he couldn't lie about his school in case someone looked it up.

"McCullum in Austin," he finally said and to his surprise another guy, Luke, Finn thought, immediately fist-bumped him. Finn knew their team had sucked so he didn't understand why the other boy would do that. Unfortunately, the answer was exactly what he had feared.

"Awesome, dude. That's the school where they beat up that fag right? Man, I wish I had been there." Finn felt the sudden urge to punch the guy but before he could do or say anything, Toby spoke again.

"Not cool dude. Guys like you are the reason people think we're nothing but dumb jocks. Keep your opinions to yourself, I don't want to hear them." A couple of other guys nodded as well, and Finn was relieved he wasn’t surrounded by a whole group of homophobes, because he wasn't sure if he had the courage to stand up to all of them.

"You weren't part of that, right?" Mark asked, his tone actually a bit threatening. "My cousin is gay, so I'd have to beat your ass if you did."

Finn shook his head. He wanted to be brave and tell them that it was his brother who had gotten beat up but when he saw the look Luke gave Mark he decided it was better to stay out of it.

"Must have happened after I moved to Ohio. Can't believe the guys I was on the team with would do something like this though," he said instead.

"Rumors are the guy hit on the linebacker and wouldn't accept a no so it was really just self-defense," Alec, the guy sitting next to Luke said and Finn balled his hands into fists. His former friends had gotten away with just getting suspended for a few days and now they were spreading rumors like this.

He was tempted to drive all the way down to Austin and confront them, but he knew his parents wouldn't approve of it. So he did what he always did and stayed quiet while he let others fight his battles around him.

Finn was sick and tired of never fighting for what he believed but he still didn't intervene because in the end he was a coward. He knew it would have been different if Kurt had been here, but as his brother was hundreds of miles away, he couldn't do it and he felt like he was letting Kurt down all over again.

Instead of joining the argument he grabbed his beer and walked away. Hopefully he would have the courage to talk to Luke and his friends when they were all sober again or when camp was over.

* * *

 

A week before the deadline for announcing a candidacy, Carole and Burt drove to Columbus so Carole could announce her intention to run for office. She kept checking and rechecking that she had all the necessary documents during the drive until Burt put his hand on hers and gave her an encouraging smile.

"I'm really proud of you for doing this," he told her and Carole finally relaxed a bit.

There weren't many people around when they reached the capitol as everyone was on summer break and after asking around for a bit they found the right room and went inside.

"My name is Carole Hummel-Hudson, and I want to run for the Ohio State Senate on an independent ticket," she told the bored looking man sitting at the table across from her.

"ID and fill out these forms please while I do a background check," the man told her and shoved a bunch of papers in her direction.

Carole started filling out the forms with Burt's help when the man interrupted her.

"Mrs. Hummel-Huson, I don't seem to find you in our voter registry. Could it be under a different name?" he asked her and Carole shook her head.

"I'm not registered to vote here yet because I only moved here last October," she told the man.

"Oh I'm sorry. You do know that you have to be a resident for at least a year before you can run for an office in this state," he informed her and Carole could see that he wasn't sorry at all.

She stood up abruptly and told Burt she had to go the restroom for a second. Her husband told her to go ahead while he talked to the man some more and Carole quickly fled the room.

She felt so stupid because she apparently hadn't be thorough enough when she researched Ohio politics and now the other candidate would run unopposed and would write all those bills that would maker her step-son's life even harder. If she had only known she would have tried harder to find another candidate instead of deluding herself that she could become a state senator herself.

Once she had composed herself again she walked back into the hallway where Burt was already waiting for her and as soon as he saw her red rimmed eyes he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry honey. I know how much that meant for you," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head and Carole felt herself relaxing into his arms. They would be okay because they were a family now and she would move again if it meant helping out Kurt.

"The people of Ohio don't know what they are missing out on because you would have been amazing. You are an inspiration to me and you would have been a great inspiration to so many other people as well," Burt assured her and Carole started crying again, but they were happy tears this time after hearing how much her husband believed in her.

"Thank you Burt. But don't underestimate yourself either. You are a good man Burt. You are an inspiration as well because you acknowledged that you made mistakes in the past and you're trying to do the right thing now. Not many people would set aside their pride to confess they aren't perfect and have faults," Carole told her husband once her tears had stopped.

"Come on, why don't we stay for a couple of days. Finn's at camp and Kurt doesn't mind spending his time at Blaine's. I think we deserve a couple of days to ourselves, don't you think?" Burt asked her and Carole quickly agreed.

They never had much time just for the two of them and after that blow she wanted to spend some time alone with her husband.

"And you know, now that I'm not running for office, we really should start trying to have that baby," she winked and nearly lost her balance when Burt grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her back to their car.

* * *

 

Burt had called Kurt from Columbus to tell him about his and Carole's plans and to inform his son that he wanted to spend some time with him once they got back to get past their argument in Grand Haven.

He knew Kurt didn't want to talk about it and he wanted to avoid it as well, but they had to if they wanted to get their relationship back on track.

Carole had gone out with Tala and so it was only Burt in the living room when Kurt came home. When Kurt spotted him, his son immediately made a beeline for his bedroom but Burt stopped him.

"Kurt, sit down please. We really need to talk." His son stopped in his tracks but didn't come closer.

"What's there to talk about? You think I'm disgusting," Kurt argued and Burt flinched. Was that what Kurt thought he thought?

"You know that's not true, right? You just caught me off guard." Kurt finally came into the living room and sat down in the armchair facing Burt.

"But that's what you thought, wasn't it?" Kurt sounded very young when he asked that and all Burt wanted to do was pull him into his arms and hold him tight, but he knew Kurt wouldn't allow that.

"I'm doing my best here Kurt, but yes, there are still things I don't understand. But these things are my problem not yours, okay? Your job is to be who you are and my job is to love you regardless of who you love."

Burt loved Kurt and if some aspects of his son's sexuality still made him uncomfortable he had to deal with them without it affecting Kurt. He had never meant for Kurt to find out about this, but now that it was out there, he had to find a way to show Kurt he loved him nevertheless.

"I promised that I would fight for your right to love whoever you love, and I intend to keep that promise," Burt told his son with as much conviction in his voice as possible and it seemed to have worked because suddenly he found himself with an arm full of Kurt who had tears streaming down his face.

"Does that mean Blaine can stay in my bedroom when he stays over?" Kurt asked once they separated, but Burt shook his head. If he wanted to keep the peace in their home Finn and Kurt had to have the same rules at home.

"Sorry kid, my house my rules. You know I can't really stop you from sleeping over at Blaine's or going somewhere with him, but when you're home the rules stay the same. Blaine sleeps in his room and Sarah in the guest room."

Burt was preparing himself for another argument, but to his surprise Kurt nodded.

"I know Finn gets jealous when I'm allowed to do things he isn't allowed to do, so fine, I'll abide by your rules when I'm home."

"Thank you, Kurt. Now how about you come to the shop with me. I think Carole mentioned some back to school shopping you wanted to do. I'm sure you could use the money."

Kurt quickly ran upstairs to get changed and together the two Hummel men went over to the garage to work on cars next to each other in comfortable silence. Burt was proud that he had managed to avert another crisis as he ran through what he had told Kurt again. When he remembered a particular sentence the proverbial light bulb went off in his head and he rushed into his office to make a phone call.

Maybe he had found a way to prove to Kurt how important he was for him once and for all.

* * *

 

A few days after his talk with his father, Kurt was anxiously awaiting Blaine's return from the lawyer's office where they would discuss Blaine's trust fund. He hadn't been worried initially but Blaine's paranoia had become stronger the past couple of days and had made Kurt antsy as well.

Finally the key turned in the lock and Blaine walk inside, straight over to Kurt who was sitting on the sofa in the living room.

After a quick kiss hello, Kurt asked the question he'd been itching to ask the past three hours.

"How did it go?" "What do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news?" Blaine asked and dropped his head on Kurt's shoulders. "The good news," Kurt told him hoping the news wouldn't be as bad as Blaine made it sound.

"I still have my trust fund. In fact, I have two." Kurt looked at Blaine curiously. "And there is a bad news?" he wondered. Blaine nodded.

"I get one trust fund when I'm twenty-five. The other one is a college trust fund, but my grandfather added a clause that it would only pay for Ivy League colleges. So if I want to go to New York, I have to get into Columbia," Blaine explained and Kurt exhaled in relief.

That wasn't so bad after all. He didn't have a real college fund himself, but he would be able to pay at least part of the tuition from his mom's insurance money, money he hadn't touched yet, but would have to if he didn't get a scholarship, because the schools he wanted to get into were expensive.

"Well, you're smart and have amazing grades. Getting into Columbia shouldn't be difficult for you," Kurt reminded his boyfriend.

"Oh, come on. Everyone who studies for test can get amazing grades at McKinley," Blaine scoffed and Kurt didn't like the direction the conversation was heading to.

"What does that mean?" he asked, dreading the answer. Blaine sighed before he took both of Kurt's hands into his own.

"I've talked it over with my mom on the way here and now that we have the money from the divorce settlement she agrees that I should go back to Dalton for my senior year."

Kurt's face fell. He wanted his senior year to be magical and that wouldn't happen if his boyfriend was boarding at a school one and a half hours away. Then suddenly he remembered something else and he frowned.

"But isn't Sebastian attending Dalton as well? You can't go to school with him," Kurt argued, but Blaine just shrugged.

"I don't think he would dare to do something at school," Blaine said, but Kurt wouldn’t have any of it.

"No, I'm not letting you board at a school with a guy who got you drunk and molested you," he told Blaine who suddenly looked angry.

"It's not really your decision Kurt and I would be doing it for us, so we can be together in New York next year. I thought that's what you wanted."

Kurt withdrew his hands and looked away. His boyfriend would go back to his old school were he was a star and would probably replace Kurt soon enough. Kurt had wanted to return to McKinley after Karofsky graduated because he missed Mercedes and Rachel and didn't like the uniforms that much, but the only reason Blaine had left Dalton was because he couldn't afford it any longer. He should have known that Blaine was just waiting for an opportunity to return.

"I think you should go," he told Blaine, still looking the other way. If his boyfriend wanted to leave him he wouldn't stop him.

"Kurt, come on, let's talk about this. Weren't you the one who told me to stop running away from our problems?" Blaine begged, but Kurt couldn't deal with this right now. He wanted to go upstairs with a pint of ice cream and cry his eyes out.

"I need some space," he cried out and ran upstairs to his bedroom. Kurt half expected Blaine to follow him but a few minutes later he heard to front door open and close.

People always left him, so why would Blaine be any different?

 

* * *

 

 It was only the second week at football camp but Finn already regretted not telling people that the boy at McCullum had been his brother because since the party Friday night the camp seemed to be divided with him standing somewhere in the middle.

In retrospect, Finn should have remembered that his lies always came back to bite him in the ass. He had just showered and changed after another exhausting training on the field when he was cornered by Luke and his cronies.

"Hey Hudson," Luke said, a smile on his face that put Finn on edge. "So I did some digging around and a little birdie told me you were involved when that whole thing went down at McCullum."

Finn paled. Luke and his friends were the last people he wanted to know about what had happened.

"Wouldn't have taken you for a homo, but I guess that explains why you told us you weren't even there. Afraid we'd find out the truth?"

Finn was honestly confused now. Were the people at his old school spreading lies about him as well now?

"I don't know what you mean," he told the other guys and then quickly decided to leave because he didn't like the way Luke was looking at him.

It was only a few hours later when Finn found out what Luke had meant, as a newspaper article was plastered on his locker. "Quarterback questioned by the police in possible hate crime incident," the article said. But the headline wasn't what caught Finn's attention. Someone had scribbled another story onto the article and Finn balled his hands into fist.

"Quarterback Finn Hudson had to flee the state after beating up a fag who refused to give him sexual favors in exchange for protection at school any longer." Next to the article was a picture of Kurt and Finn outside the Hudmel home in Austin followed by one of Kurt entering the house after Finn.

Finn ripped the article off his locker and stormed outside where most of the group were sitting around listening to music. Once he reached Luke he thrust the piece of paper into his face and yelled. "Did you do that? What is wrong with you?"

Luke just smirked. "Can't handle people knowing the truth, Hudson?" Finn felt all eyes on him and knew they had all read the fake article as well. He had enough of people calling him gay because he hung out with Kurt, enough of people blaming Kurt for getting hurt and enough of people who were saying Kurt deserved to get hurt.

Before he knew it his fist collided with Luke's nose and a sickening crunch reached his ear. Before he could stop and step away from a fight though, Luke retaliated and hit him in the stomach. Finn doubled over in a pain for a moment before tackling Luke and hitting every place on his body he could reach.

"Kurt is my brother you asshole and it was people like you who hurt him. So stop spreading your disgusting rumors or you will pay for it."

He barely noticed his surroundings anymore and nearly punched his coach as well when he pulled Finn off of Luke.

He spent the next thirty minutes or so in a trance like state, staring blankly at a wall in the camp director's office while the man was on the phone with his parents. He had finally found the courage to stand up for himself and Kurt but he had resorted to the violence his brother hated so much. Maybe that was the reason why he didn't feel better.

Toby was waiting for him outside the office and followed him back to his room, where Finn began to throw clothes haphazardly into his suitcase.

"Sucks they're kicking you out man, but if you hadn't punched him, me and Mark probably would have," the younger boy told him.

Finn gladly remembered Toby's words the next morning when he was leaving the camp and had one last run in with Luke, who had been kicked out as well once the director had heard about the article and the rumors.

"Don't come back to Texas Hudson, or next time you'll be the one in the hospital." Finn scowled at him as he got into the cab. He had no intentions at all to come back here for a long time.

He spent most of the plane ride worrying about his parents' reaction because when they had talked on the phone the previous night, his mom had just told him they would talk when he got home.

He knew he had been lucky that the camp director hadn't called the police on him, but he still couldn't imagine his mom being all too happy about the fight. And wasn't stress bad for a baby? He really had to try harder not to upset his mom if he wanted to become an awesome big brother one day.

Thankfully, it was Kurt who picked him up from the airport and they shared a silent ride back to Lima. He was hopeful that he wouldn't have to talk to Kurt about the incident as well, but his hope was shattered when his brother told him to expect him with a glass of warm milk soon. Warm milk was their code for we need to have an honest talk and you will probably not like what I have to say, but Finn knew he owed Kurt an explanation.

When they came back to the house, his mom and Burt were already waiting for him in the living room and Kurt quickly excused himself to give them some privacy. But knowing his brother he was probably just hiding around the corner to eavesdrop on their conversation.

His mom was the first to break the silence. "You know that we don't condone violence Finn, but – and please don't repeat this to anyone – I'm also really proud that you defended your brother against these other boys."

Finn stared at his mom in wonder when Burt took over. He just hoped they weren't doing one of these good cop, bad cop things he'd seen on TV.

"Now ordinarily I'd say you are grounded till you're thirty, but in this case your mom and I agree that we hope it's punishment enough that you're going to miss out on half of the camp. We do however expect you to work in the garage for free until you paid back the money we wasted on the camp, understood?"

Finn quickly nodded because he had expected a much harsher punishment and he liked working on cars. Kurt still owed him a couple of favors for the disturbing mental images he had to deal with during their vacation so he was sure his brother would lend him some money if he needed it.

Once his parents told him he was allowed to go, he quickly went upstairs to call Sarah. He realized while he was talking to her that as much as he liked football, he was actually glad to be back in Lima sooner than expected.

* * *

 

Carole would never admit it out loud but she was glad Finn was back home because she and Burt had decided that they should talk to their kids about the baby before she got pregnant so they had some time to get used to the idea.

For all she knew she could already be pregnant and so she really didn't want to postpone the talk any longer.

The opportunity arose during the first Friday night dinner they had without Blaine and Tala in months and after finishing the dishes she told her family to meet her in the living room.

"There's something your dad and I need to talk to you about," Carole went straight to the point once everyone was seated.

She was about to elaborate when she caught the glances Finn and Kurt were giving each other. Something was definitely up between the two of them, but now wasn't the time to find out what they had done wrong.

"I know you might think this is kind of sudden, but Burt and I have talked about it and we both agree that now is a good time," Carole continued, only to be stopped by her son.

"It's okay mom, Kurt and I already know you're pregnant," Finn blurted out before he winced because Kurt had stepped on his toes to keep him quiet.

"We decided that … what?" Did Finn just say he and Kurt thought she was pregnant? She probably had to go on another diet soon.

"But your mother isn't pregnant," Burt interjected when it became clear that Carole wouldn't say anything.

"You don't need to lie to us, " Kurt piped up. "We know about the test and then you were throwing up when we went to Grand Haven."

Carole stared at her sons. How did they know about the test? She was sure Burt hadn't mentioned anything because no parent wanted to admit they accidentally got pregnant when they kept warning their kids to be careful.

"How?" Finn and Kurt both suddenly went silent, but after Burt glared at them for a few seconds Finn broke.

"Kurt overheard you saying something to Blaine's mom and followed you to the store," he said quickly, flinching when he caught Kurt's glare.

"And Finn thought we should spy on you when you took the test," Kurt shot back.

"Enough," Burt yelled to break them up. "I've had it with all the eavesdropping going on in this house. Some things are private and you really need to learn to respect that."

Carole felt guilt for a moment because she had indulged in some spying as well, but right now she had to act like a parent.

"So you're both grounded for a week. No TV, no phones and no laptops. You can hand them over after Carole and I are done talking," Burt told the boys who immediately tried to argue their way out of the punishment, but Burt silenced them soon enough.

"What Burt and I wanted to tell you is that we are trying to have a baby, but you already knew that. So take the week and think about how you feel about that," Carole told the boys before leaving the living room because she didn't want to deal with two angry boys when Burt took away their phones.

The only upside of the situation they were in was that the boys already had some time to get used to the idea and it explained a lot of their strange behavior lately. The boys had been trying to make sure she was healthy for the baby, and that gave her hope that it would all work out well if they gained another family member.

* * *

 

The next day, Burt led Carole out of the car to escape two moody teenagers and to talk to her about something he had done.

"Why are we sitting in the car in front of our house?" Carole asked once she had closed the door.

"Just making sure we are not being spied on right now," Burt answered before turning around in his seat and taking is wife's hand.

"I know how upset you were when they wouldn't let you run for office. So I did some thinking and I went up to Columbus a few days ago and announced my own candidacy."

Burt looked at his wife anxiously hoping she would agree with his decision. Suddenly Carole flung herself into his arms, but quickly moved back again.

"Ow," she said, pointing at the gear stick. "I honestly don't know how teenagers manage to make out in a car," she mumbled and Burt nervously glanced into the backseat of the Navigator they were sitting in. Not the time to think about that, he thought.

"So you're okay with it?" he asked his wife who was still rubbing her side.

"I think it's great Burt," she said and this time when she leaned over Burt met her in the middle for a quick kiss.

"I'm glad you approve, because I can't do this without your support," he mumbled against her lips.

Once he pulled back, he added. "I know keeping secrets is a bit difficult in our home, but I don't want to tell the boys just yet. I need some time to figure out how to do this before my name gets officially announced."

"Whatever you need, Burt. But just don't be surprised if they are angry you kept something so important from them when you do tell them."

Burt hoped Carole was wrong, because he couldn't tell his sons until he figured out how to handle Kurt's sexuality during his campaign.

* * *

 

Kurt made two cups of warm milk as soon as his dad and Carole left the house, which he carried up to Finn's room once he was done. His brother was lying on his bed staring at a magazine Kurt didn't want to examine too closely, but luckily Finn quickly put it away once he spotted Kurt.

Kurt handed over one of the cups and then cleared a space on Finn's messy bed to sit down.

"Before we talk about how much our parents suck, do you want to tell me what happened in Texas?" he asked his brother once he was comfortable.

Finn took a couple of sips before he put the cup down and looked at Kurt. "There was this guy who was spreading rumors about you and McCullum. I tried to ignore him at first but then he went too far with the stuff he was saying and I punched him. He fought back, I hit him some more and we got caught. End of story."

Kurt wasn't sure what to feel. On the one hand he was happy that Finn had defended him, but on the other hand he abhorred violence especially after he had ended up in the hospital the previous year.

"I know you don't like hitting people, but I just had to shut him up." Finn continued, as if he had read Kurt's mind.

"It's okay," Kurt told him and surprisingly he meant it. Maybe for once it was nice not to take the high road.

"So can we talk about how much our parents suck now?" Finn asked after squeezing Kurt's knee briefly.

"Yeah, talk about inopportune moment. I got into a fight with Blaine and now I have no way to reach him. I told him I needed space, but I didn't mean more than a week," Kurt complained, because Finn had proven to be a good listener in the past when Kurt had problems with Blaine.

"That sucks, but I'm sure that if you explain it to my mom, she'll at least tell him you are grounded."

Kurt really hoped so because he had to talk to Blaine soon, if he didn't want to lose his boyfriend to another stupid argument. Blaine had promised not to leave him and he had to trust him if he wanted their relationship to work. He couldn't let the past dictate his future any longer.

"So how about you and Sarah, " he deflected. "Any news on that front?"

"Well, her parents finally allow us to be in her room as long as we keep the door open, but I'm pretty sure that if her mom ever finds out I called her an alcoholic I'm not allowed to come over ever again."

Kurt snorted. "That was the worst lie ever." "Sorry, I panicked," Finn said and they both started laughing remembering that dinner.

"About that favor you owe me though," Finn continued once they stopped laughing and Kurt wasn't sure he would like what Finn was about to say, "I think I might need your help soon."

Kurt raised his eyebrow in question knowing that he would probably regret it.

"I mean she let me touch her," Kurt quickly interrupted his brother. "Don't finish that sentence. I don't want to know. Just tell me when you need me to get rid of the parents and I'll do it. I definitely don't want to know the details."

"Oh, my mom got me pamphlets for that if you don't want me to explain it to you," Finn said looking rather sheepishly and Kurt threw a pillow at his head before fleeing the room.

Only six more days till freedom.

* * *

 

Blaine didn't know what to make of Kurt's behavior. It was true that a year ago he had wanted to return to Dalton, but now that Thad and Nick had graduated as well, he barely had any friends left in the Warblers. He had also grown quite fond of New Directions under Ms. Corcoran's leadership, but he had to do what was best for his future.

He decided to give Kurt a couple of days to come to term with it while he met up with Dalton's headmaster before making a final decision. He had to know that Sebastian wouldn't be a problem even if that meant confessing how they had met. His mother, who Burt had informed after the incident, had supported his decision and had even come with him when he went to see the headmaster.

After a few days had passed and he still hadn't heard from Kurt he was getting worried however, especially when his calls went straight to voicemail when he finally decided to call his boyfriend.

He was about to drive over to the Hudmel house and force Kurt to talk to him when he got a call from Carole telling him that Kurt was grounded for a week. She wouldn't tell him what Kurt had done, only that his punishment would end the second day of school.

He knew Kurt would be livid if he found out about Blaine's decision through Carole, and so he hoped Kurt would take it better if he told him in person after his punishment was over. Luckily, school at Dalton started a week after McKinley and Blaine was sure he would need the time to catch up with Dalton's curriculum.

It had been a while since he and Kurt had been separated for more than a week and soon enough Blaine was bored out of his mind. Santana wasn't around a lot and a few phone calls to the members of New Directions told him that they were all busy with their boy- and girlfriends, enjoying the last days of summer.

Monday morning, the first day of school at McKinley, Blaine went up to Dalton to pick up his new uniform. Around noon his phone started alerting him to text messages from New Directions asking why he didn't come to school, but he texted them that his mom needed his help today, because he didn't want Kurt to find out from one of his friends either.

After he finished decorating his new dorm room and a quick lunch with Trent who was moving in early as well, Blaine drove back to Lima with his new uniform resting on the passenger seat.

After he spent some time at Dalton today he was actually excited about putting it on again and to see if his old size still fit. He hadn't grown much this summer, not nearly as much as Kurt the past summer, but they were at least closer in height again. Although, Blaine had to admit, he didn't mind having to tilt up his head to kiss his boyfriend. His boyfriend who hopefully would still want to talk to him after he told him about transferring schools.

His mom wasn't home yet when he went back to the house, but Santana and Brittany were making out in the living room when he went inside.

"Did you tell anyone?" he asked her when she looked up to greet him. Santana shook her head. "Thanks, I really have to tell him in person." He waved his hand at Brittany before going upstairs to try on his uniform.

He was buttoning up his white dress shirt when he heard the front door open and close and was surprised that Brittany didn't stay for dinner as she had done the past couple of days when she was over.

Blaine shrugged and put his tie around his neck when he was interrupted by a gasp behind him.

Blaine turned around slowly, having already guessed who was standing behind him. Kurt was clutching the doorframe with one hand as his other was holding a bouquet of roses.

"Did you even plan to tell me or were you just not going to come back to school again?" Kurt asked, letting the flowers fall to the floor.

Blaine rushed over to his boyfriend and tried to take Kurt's hand, but Kurt snatched it back, hurt evident in his eyes.

"Of course I would have. I wanted to come over to your house tomorrow once you weren't grounded anymore," he tried to explain as tears were welling up in Kurt's eyes.

"You seriously thought my dad wouldn't let you talk to me about something so important even if I was grounded?"

Blaine frowned. He had to admit he hadn't even thought about that and the devil on his shoulder told him he was glad he couldn't see Kurt while he made his decision because he knew that if Kurt had begged him to stay, he would have said yes in a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but I told you I was doing this for us," Blaine tried again as Kurt still refused to let him hold his hand.

"And I wanted to apologize for reacting the way I did when you told me you were considering it, but I didn't think you would go ahead without talking to me about it again. This decision affects both of us and yet you didn't think I should be involved in the decision making."

Blaine hated making Kurt cry but going back to Dalton was the only way. He was sure he wouldn't be able to get into an Ivy League school if he stayed in public school. After all, this had been one of the reasons why his father had allowed him to transfer to private school in the first place.

"Can we please sit down and talk about this," he pleaded again and finally Kurt took a step inside his room and sat down on the edge of Blaine's bed.

"So talk," he said, as Blaine sat down on his desk chair so he could face Kurt.

"I know that you are worried about Sebastian but I spoke to the headmaster and he assured me he would have a talk with Sebastian so he would leave me alone." He was still a bit apprehensive himself, but trusted Dalton's anti-bullying policy to keep him safe from all harassment.

"It's not just Sebastian," Kurt admitted. "I barely saw you this summer when we were living in the same city and I'm afraid I won't get to see you any more if you move back into the dorms. I know what life is like there."

Blaine stood up and sat down next to Kurt before pulling him into his arms. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise. We made it work when I was here and you were in Austin, so this should be a piece of cake. And next year when can get a small apartment together in New York," he assured his boyfriend.

"You promise?" Kurt asked as his head rested on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple.

"I promise."


	4. September

Carole was observing her stepson closely after Tala told her about Blaine's transfer back to Dalton and she was sad to see that Kurt was still sulking a week after his punishment had ended.

Blaine had been there for the last Friday night dinner, but had to leave early because the Warblers had hosted a back to school party Kurt wasn't invited to because they wanted to talk about their plans for the competition season this year and Carole understood why Kurt was down but she didn't want to see him looking so downcast much longer.

Under the pretense of checking if he had any laundry for her – and they both knew it wasn't the real reason why she came into the room because Kurt did his own laundry – she sat down on the edge of his bed, while Kurt was moodily glaring at his homework.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked when he finally acknowledged her presence.

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm just sad because I've only seen Blaine for like two hours since he transferred back to Dalton because we're both busy with senior year."

Carole looked at him in sympathy. "Have I ever told you about Finn's dad?" she asked then.

Kurt shook his head. Everyone in the family knew she was a widow as well but she wasn't sure if Burt had ever told his son the details.

"I got pregnant with Finn my senior year of high school and Christopher decided to join the army to make money for us, so we could get married once he was done with his contract and we could both go to college. I moved to Texas with him were he did his basic training, but only a few months in he had to go to Iraq."

It'd been a long time, but somehow it was still hard for her to talk about it.

"It was hard being so far apart and this was before Skype and cell phones, but I had Finn to take care off and I knew he was doing it for us. You are the same age as I was back then and you are so lucky that you're boyfriend is only one and a half hours away and you have all this modern technology at your disposal to reach him whenever you want. I know this is difficult for you but it could be so much worse."

She didn't want to downplay Kurt's feeling but she wanted him to realize that Blaine transferring to another school really wasn't the end of the world.

Kurt looked thoughtful before he smiled at her. "Thanks Carole."

They were both silent for a moment and when she thought that was the end of the conversation she stood up and kissed his forehead before walking over to the door.

"Can I ask what happened to him?" Kurt stopped her. "Did he die in the war?"

Carole slowly turned around again debating whether she should tell Kurt the truth.

"Finn doesn't know because he idolizes his father, but I promise to tell him when the time is right, so please keep this between the two of us," she told Kurt as she sat down again. Kurt nodded.

"When Christopher came back from the war after one year he was different. He went out with his friends a lot, getting drunk and refused to talk to me about what had happened in Iraq. I tried to help him as best as I could, but he wouldn't let me in and when he started neglecting Finn, I moved in with a friend for a bit. He died from a drug induced overdose a few weeks later."

Kurt stared at her with wide eyes before he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry Carole," he whispered and Carole gave him a watery smile.

"Finn thinks his dad died a hero and I've never had the heart to tell him that he got a dishonorable discharge from the Army. I just know it's going to break his heart when I tell him."

"I promise I won't say anything to him," Kurt assured her as he released her from his arms.

Carole gave him a grateful smile as she stood up and wiped away the few tears that had escaped her eyes.

"I know what it feels like to be lonely because the person you love isn't close to you any minute of the day, so whenever you are sad, you can come to me, okay?"

Carole left Kurt's bedroom deep in thoughts. Burt of course knew the true story about Christopher's death, just as he had told her the reason for his divorce, but they had both agreed to wait to tell Finn till he was older. But Finn was nearly eighteen already and she wondered if she shouldn't tell him soon.

Looking back into Kurt's room where her stepson looked a lot happier than he had before, she knew that she and Burt would be able to deal with it when the time came.

* * *

 

Kurt tried not to start an argument when his dad told him that Blaine couldn't come to Friday night dinner because Burt wanted to make a private announcement but it was hard. Still, he decided to give his dad a chance to talk first before he decided whether it was important enough to exclude his boyfriend from the dinner.

His father kept shooting him nervous glances all throughout dinner and Kurt began to wonder if his dad had done something to anger Kurt again. But if that were the case he wouldn't have called a family meeting.

Taking care of the dishes seemed to take forever even though the four of them worked together but after the last plate was finally put away they all went into the living room, Carole and his dad taking the couch, Finn the armchair and Kurt the loveseat.

"What's going on?" he and Finn asked in unison. His dad shifted a few times in his seat before he started his explanation.

"I know you have all seen Richard Nelson's ads on TV, right?" Kurt nodded, a look of utter disgust on his face. He couldn't believe some people hated him enough to try to ruin his life.

"Well, the thing is, as there was no opponent apart from that crazy cheerleading coach Carole had decided to run against him," he continued.

"Way to go mom!" Finn interrupted and made his mom bump her fist against his. His dad rolled his eyes before he continued.

"Unfortunately, your mom wasn't allowed to because she hasn't been a resident in Ohio for long enough, so I did some thinking because I knew how important it is to her that someone runs against this jerk, and I entered my name into the race a few weeks ago."

Finn and Kurt both sat there in silence until Finn spoke up. "Why didn't you tell us earlier? Doesn't that affect us too?" Kurt was surprised that Finn actually had valid questions for once.

"I wanted to think about my strategy first and about how much I want you involved in this," his dad explained, shooting Kurt another nervous glance.

To avoid blowing up at his dad, Kurt quickly left the living room to get himself a glass of water. His dad was doing this because he thought what the other candidate said was wrong, right? So that was good, right? He was just afraid of people airing their dirty laundry, because there were things in his life, no one but his immediate friends and family had to know.

He didn't know how he would deal if someone brought up his attack or the fact that he was chased out of high school because he couldn't handle the bullying.

But there wasn't anything he could do. He couldn't tell his dad to withdraw because even though he thought coach Sylvester could be convincing, he was sure Richard Nelson would win by a landslide if no serious candidate opposed him.

Feeling more collected, Kurt went back into the living room and sat down in his chair again.

"So what does this mean for us?" he finally asked the question he'd been burning to ask since the moment his dad had announced his candidacy.

"There will be media we'll have to deal with, people wanting to take a picture of me and my family, people asking questions about us. So I need you on your best behavior the next couple of months. No sneaking into bars," his dad said with a glance at Kurt. Kurt rolled his eyes. As if he ever wanted to go back to Scandals again.

Next to him Finn was promising to try and stay out of trouble as well and Kurt barely suppressed a laugh. Finn always managed to get into trouble somehow.

"Now, there is something else we need to talk about, and I'm sorry if you're not going to like it, but my decision is final and I ask you to respect it," Burt continued and Kurt frowned because he didn't like his dad's tone.

"We all know what Nelson stands for and if I want a chance to defeat him no one can know that I have a gay son." Kurt felt like he got punched in the stomach. Was his dad still ashamed of him after all this time?

"Burt, it's not like that's a secret. Everyone at school knows he's dating Blaine," Finn interjected and Kurt was grateful for that because he was speechless for a moment.

"I'm not asking you to lie about it, but I'm asking you not to comment on it if someone asks and be careful when you see Blaine in public." Burt was looking intently at Kurt but Kurt had to look away.

"Do you agree with that too?" he suddenly turned to Carole who shook her head. "I don't because I think people aren't going to be happy when they find out they were lied to and I also think we could use it to our advantage, showing people there's nothing wrong with you, but it's your dad's campaign.

"Look buddy, nothing really changes and now with Blaine at Dalton it's not like I'm asking you to pretend he isn't your boyfriend at school," his dad tried again and Kurt had heard enough. He jumped up from his seat and yelled at his dad.

"I bet your happy Blaine's gone so I can't ruin your precious reputation. I thought you had changed but clearly I was wrong." He didn't wait around to hear more of his father's excuses and ran out of the door slamming it behind him.

He got into his car and was driving around aimlessly for close to half an hour, wishing Blaine were home instead of at yet another Warblers party – because he hadn’t be allowed to come over for Friday night dinner. He needed his boyfriend to tell him he was right and his dad was a jerk and to just hold him.

He stopped the car in the parking lot of a twenty-four hour diner and took out his phone, dialing Blaine's number but his boyfriend didn't pick up. After another round of unsuccessful calls, he furiously typed out a message. "I need you, please call me."

He was about to turn on the ignition to drive back home, when his phone chimed. "Busy at the party baby, call you later." Kurt threw his phone against the windshield before dissolving into tears.

Blaine had promised to always be there for him, but apparently his boyfriend wasn't big on keeping promises either.

At some point he must have managed to drive home and go up to his room, but his racing thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Carole pocked her head in, a cup of hot chocolate in her hand.

"You okay, honey? I was worried when you just left and didn't come back for two hours," she said as she sat down next to him on his bed.

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. As much as he loved Carole by now, she wasn't the person he wanted to talk to in this moment.

"I'm sorry about your dad. He thinks he's doing the right thing here because he really wants to win this election for you, but we both know that can be misguided in his attempts to reach a goal."

"So you are on his side now?" Kurt spat out. Carole shook her head. "No, I still think he's making a mistake, but I'm asking you to see it from his point of view, okay. He didn't tell you to keep quiet because he's ashamed of you, but because he honestly believes he can't win if people here know about you."

Okay fine, he could understand that some people might not vote for his dad if they knew he had a gay son, but he'd rather not have their votes at all if they couldn't accept him. He was not going back into the closet, because as Texas had taught him, people always assumed, whether he confirmed it or not was mostly irrelevant.

"I need some time, Carole," he told his stepmom and turned onto his side, so his back was facing her.

He could feel the bed dip next to him as she kissed his head, before the door closed behind her.

Kurt spared a glance at his phone again, hoping Blaine had finally tried to contact him, but there were still no missed calls or new texts on his display. That night he fell asleep crying, with his phone clutched to his chest.

* * *

 

"He okay?" Burt asked his wife when she came back from Kurt's room. He had wanted to talk to his son as soon as he had heard the front door open, but Carole had thought it would be better if she talked to him.

"Not really, but what did you expect to happen Burt? I told you it was a bad idea not to tell them immediately and you know I don't agree with you hiding your son," his wife told him, not for the first time.

But she didn't understand. He knew the people in Lima, he had grown up with them and he had been one of them. They wouldn't be accepting and they wouldn't vote for him if they knew he was. Nelson was a fanatic and he needed to give the people someone who still stood for what they believed in but was less radical in his own believes.

"By telling Kurt to go back into the closet you are just telling all the haters they are right. That being gay is wrong and should be hidden as not to offend someone. I told you, you'd have my full support, but I'm not supporting you on this," Carole told him, gathering up her pillow and blanket before leaving him alone in their bedroom.

It wasn't that they never fought, but it's been a while since Carole decided not to spend the night with him, the last time when he told Kurt he couldn't wear his own clothes to school in Austin.

Still, he thought he was doing the right thing here and once he was elected his family would surely forgive him for telling Kurt to keep quiet. But if he was so sure, why was it getting harder to convince himself he was in fact doing the right thing?

* * *

 

Finn was glad to go back to school on Monday, not just because he managed to get back onto the football team but also because he had caught his mom coming out of the guest room in the morning the last two days.

He hated when his parents fought, but he was on his mom and Kurt's side this time. There had been a time when he had lied about Kurt's sexuality because he was afraid of his friends' opinions about him, but he had put that behind him and was now proud to be Kurt's brother.

He had tried to talk to Kurt over the weekend but his brother had ignored him most of the time and had even gone as far as to throw his phone in Finn's direction when it started ringing Saturday night and Finn dared to ask why Kurt wasn't picking up the fourth time it happened. After that he had stay clear of Kurt's room and had spent the rest of the weekend with the Glee guys for a COD marathon just to escape the tense atmosphere at home.

Kurt still didn't look happy when he drove them to school on Monday but Finn decided to let Kurt come to him if he wanted to talk because he didn't want to find out if he had better aim during the day.

He managed to stay awake during most of his classes because he knew he couldn't afford to sleep through his senior year if he wanted to stay on the team and after the final bell had rung, he headed to practice while Kurt went to the library to work on some project.

He hadn't meant to make Kurt wait for him outside the locker room after practice but he got sidetracked by Puck who was telling him about his latest adventures in cougar land.

When he finally left the locker room he froze as he spotted an already tall and bulky freshman who's name Finn couldn't remember because he was only on reserve pinning Kurt to a wall and leaning in closer to say something to him.

He couldn't hear what he said but Kurt's eyes widened in fear before he struggled to get out of the younger boy’s hold. The other boy punched the locker next to Kurt's head in frustration before he ran away from a shaking Kurt.

Finn finally unfroze and ran over to his brother.

"Are you okay? Do I need to beat someone up for you?" Finn asked, immediately regretting his choice of words because Kurt flinched before he schooled his face into a neutral expression.

"It was nothing Finn. Let it go, I can handle it myself," Kurt assured him in a tone that told Finn the discussion was over.

Finn knew by now not to push Kurt when he didn't want to talk about something, but he vowed to keep an eye on Kurt and the freshman, because after a year of little to no harassment – that he knew of – Kurt didn't deserved to be bullied again in his senior year by a fucking freshman.

* * *

 

Blaine had only been back in school for a little over a week but he was already stressed out. After a year at McKinley it was hard to deal with Dalton's curriculum again and he definitely wasn't used to deal with the huge amount of homework he got every day.

Additionally he had Warblers' practice and joined the student union because he thought it would look good on his college application.

The guys he had know from before seemed happy to welcome him back into the Warblers, especially after most of the old team had graduated and they immediately offered him a spot on the council but Blaine declined because he didn't want to add even more responsibilities because it was hard enough to find time he could spend with Kurt as it was.

To his chagrin, Sebastian was a member of the Warbler's council – another reason why he didn't want to be part of it – and though he kept his distance most of the time, he didn't like the way he kept leering at him.

His first day at Dalton, Sebastian had come up to him in an empty hallway and Blaine had instinctively taking a step back.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from me," the other boy had drawled. "They always come back for more."

Blaine had glared at Sebastian and had made sure afterward to never be alone with Sebastian again.

Other then the looks, Sebastian seemed to have backed off afterward though and so when Kurt told Blaine he couldn't come to dinner, he had immediately agreed to come to the first real Warblers' party that Friday night. He had planned not to drink at all because he didn't trust Sebastian, but when he arrived at Trent's house and couldn't find the other boy anywhere he relaxed and grabbed a beer for himself.

Blaine was on the way to being tipsy when he noticed that his phone, which he had put on the coffee tabled, was gone, but Blaine shrugged it off, because things always reappeared the morning after a party.

He was suspicious however when Sebastian appeared an hour later with Blaine's phone, claiming to have found it on one of the couches.

He snatched the phone out of his hand and immediately went outside to check the call log and his texts, but everything seemed to be in order, apart from the fact that Sebastian had programmed his number into the phone, which Blaine deleted promptly.

To escape Sebastian's presence he went upstairs to one of the bedrooms where Trent and a few of the other Warblers where playing truth or dare with some girls from their sister school Crawford Country Day.

It didn't take long for him to get from tipsy to seriously drunk and once the group finished their game and went back downstairs, he locked the door and collapsed face forward onto the bed.

The next morning, he woke up with a pounding headache and once he had emptied his stomach and taken some Tylenol he went straight back to bed and slept till well past noon.

It wasn't until he was back at Dalton later that night that he remembered he'd promised Kurt to call after the party, but his boyfriend wasn't picking up the phone even after he texted him a couple of times asking him to call.

He checked his phone again to make sure he didn't accidentally drunk dial Kurt and said something to make Kurt angry, but when he couldn't find anything, he couldn't help it and got angry himself.

Kurt was the one who was always complaining they didn't see each other enough and now that he called to make plans with him for Sunday his calls were being ignored.

Well, two can play this game he thought. He was done running after Kurt when Kurt clearly didn't want to talk to him. Even if his heart broke a little at the thought.

 

* * *

 

Kurt did not have a good weekend after his dad's announcement and Blaine ignoring him when he needed him, so he was looking forward to going back to school even if it was without Blaine.

Classes were still ridiculously easy and he hadn't been slushied in months. On top of that a lot of his old tormentors had finally graduated as well so he was hoping that the incident with that kid the other week was just a one time off.

Of course, things seldom went Kurt's way and he suddenly found himself crashing into a locker in an empty hallway on his way to Glee. The same kid who had pushed him before was glaring at him and Kurt was waiting for him to start spewing some homophobic crap but it never came.

He honestly didn't understand what the guy's problem was. He didn't even know his name and if it wasn't the fact that he was gay that offended him, what was it? He was definitely smarter than his former bullies though because the only times he had accosted Kurt so far had been in an empty hallway where there hadn't been any witnesses apart from Finn.

Kurt squared his shoulders and glared back at the younger boy to show him he was done being intimidated by Neanderthals but there was something in the boy's smile that scared him.

He tried to brush it off and continued on his way to the choir room trying to hide that he had just collided with a locker.

Most of the club was already waiting and Rachel was telling their new members all about Nationals in New York. Kurt sat down carefully next to Mercedes who was playing Angry Birds on her phone, looking bored.

"Where's Ms. Corcoran?" Kurt asked her because he hadn't been able to show up on time and the teacher still wasn't here. Mercedes shrugged and went back to playing a game on her phone. Apparently she and Sam were still fighting if she chose to focus on her phone instead of sitting with him.

"Sorry I'm late guys," Ms. Corcoran came into the room, followed by two college aged looking girls. "I have a surprise for you. These are Marley and Alexis from U Dayton and they are going to help me direct our … drum solo Finn … first Glee club musical for extra credit."

Rachel was jumping up and down in her chair on Kurt's other side while Kurt was clapping excitedly. He and Rachel both wanted to apply to music schools in New York for college and a role in a musical would definitely help him get in.

"What's it gonna be Ms. C.?" Puck asked. "I ain't gonna but on some tutu or shit." Kurt had a few preferences as well, but for now he was content to have a chance to perform.

"Relax Noah, I think you're going to like this one. We will be doing ‘Rent’ but I'm going to ask you to do one thing. Ignore the Broadway and movie version and audition for a role you wouldn't normally associate yourselves with. I want you to be challenged, okay."

Kurt's mind was reeling, because of course when he thought about ‘Rent’ he thought he sort of had to play Angel because of his voice and his appearance, but if Ms. Corcoran was looking past that he could go for who ever he wanted.

"Auditions will be held the first week of October so that should give you plenty of time to prepare something. Use a song from the musical. If you don't know it get the sheet music and listen to it until you do."

Rehearsal was pretty much over after that as most of the students who did know the show were sitting together debating who they wanted to audition for while Ms. Corcoran explained the plot to those who didn't.

Kurt had some idea of who he wanted to go for and he pulled out his phone to text Blaine when he remembered that they had yet to talk since Blaine's dismissive text message.

He said goodbye to his friends and walked out to his car, but when he saw the state one of his tires was in, he broke into a run. One of his tires had been slashed and Kurt quickly circled his car to determine if something else was wrong as well.

He had really thought he had left the bullying behind him, but apparently he couldn't catch a break. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Blaine. "Can you come see me? I really need you now." Blaine answered only a few seconds later.

"Still in Warbler's practice. I could be in Lima by 7." Kurt didn't want to wait another three hours and so he quickly sent another text. "It's fine. Talk to you tonight?" He hated the whole not talking thing and it was time to get over his pride and call his boyfriend.

Kurt quickly changed into an old t-shirt and dragged his spare tire out of the trunk, glad for once that his dad made him work at the shop the previous summer.

Once he was done he took out his phone again and composed another message. "Coffee at the Lima Bean? I need to see a friendly face."

He quickly changed back into his normal clothes and drove over to Lima's only decent coffee shop to rant about all the ignorant people in Lima.

* * *

 

Blaine was getting ready to leave Friday afternoon so he wouldn't miss another Friday night dinner at the Hummel-Hudsons when there was a knock on the door.

Blaine opened, expecting it to be Trent or one of the other guys from the Warblers inviting him to play video games, but when he realized it was Sebastian standing in front of him, he scowled.

"What do you want, Sebastian?" he practically growled. "Just checking if you've seen this already," the other boy smirked and pushed his iPad in Blaine's hand.

Blaine was about to give it back, not wanting to know what Sebastian was up to now when the headline of a newspaper article Sebastian had open caught his attention.

"Is Senate Candidate Burt Hummel's son cheating on his boyfriend?" The article was accompanied by a picture of Kurt sitting with another boy at a table at the Lima Bean, a boy he recognized as Chandler from Kurt's camp pictures.

He quickly scanned the article not wanting to believe what the headline said.

"Sources have brought to our attention that Hummel, student at McKinley High, was spotted with male company that was not his boyfriend Blaine Anderson. Students are wondering if there is trouble in paradise, especially since Anderson hasn't shown up to school in weeks. Burt Hummel could not be reached for a comment about his son's questionable behavior."

Blaine was sure Kurt wasn't cheating on him, even though they had barely talked lately, especially after the party. Kurt had assured him he had just been busy helping out his dad when Blaine asked why he hadn't picked up the phone, when they talked on Monday but he still felt like something was off.

There definitely was trouble in paradise but he couldn't believe someone would go as far as to inform a newspaper about their issues. It took him an embarrassingly long time to figure out why people would be interested in them, but when he did he balled his hands into fists. Burt's opponent was using them for his smear campaign.

Sebastian must have misinterpreted his silence and clenched fists because he leaned in and ran a finger down Blaine's chest.

"Why don't you let me in and I'll make you forget all about gay face," he drawled, but Blaine was definitely not in the mod for Sebastian's advances.

"Stop it Sebastian. I told you I'm not interested." Sebastian smirked. "We both know that's not true. Otherwise you wouldn't keep running to me whenever your precious boyfriend isn't around. You can do so much better than him."

Sebastian's hand reached his belt buckle and Blaine lost it. Before he realized what he was doing Sebastian was sitting on the floor clutching his bloody nose and was glaring at him.

"I'm going to make you pay for that Anderson." Blaine shrugged. He needed to get to Lima to talk to Kurt. He would deal with Sebastian later.

* * *

 

Burt was pacing the living room while he waited for Kurt to come home. The coffee table was littered with various articles about his son and his phone wouldn't stop ringing with people calling to get a comment from him. But he wasn't going to say anything before he talked to Kurt.

Burt was furious but his anger wasn't directed at Kurt but at that kid from McKinley who had talked to the reporters. It was bad enough that Kurt and Blaine had been outed to the public like that but insinuating that his son was a cheater was just not acceptable.

The front door opened and Finn and Kurt came in, both looking a bit out of breath.

"Burt, what's going on? There was this reporter guy at school who wanted to talk to us," Finn exclaimed as soon as the two boys entered the living room.

Burt handed them both a newspaper article and watched as the boys read them.

"That's bullshit," Finn suddenly yelled while Kurt just paled. "Finn, why don't you go to your room for a bit so Kurt and I can talk," he told his stepson because he thought it would be better if Finn calmed down a bit before they talked about the articles.

"Kurt didn't do anything wrong," Finn glared at Burt remaining in the living room. "He would never tell someone a story like that just to get back at you."

Burt was taken aback. Did his kids really think he was blaming Kurt? "I know Finn. I just want to talk to Kurt."

Finn reluctantly left the living room and Burt motioned for Kurt to sit down opposite him.

"You okay?" he asked his son once they were both seated. Kurt shook his head. "Finn's right. I would never do that to Blaine just because I'm angry at you."

"I didn't think you did. Apparently you go to school with Richard Nelson's son and he told his dad about you and Blaine."

Kurt's eyes widened in recognition of the name. "Rick the Stick," he mumbled and Burt assumed that was Nelson's kid.

"Oh my god, what is Blaine going to say about that?" Kurt suddenly exclaimed. "He's going to freak if he sees that I had coffee with Chandler."

Burt was confused. Why would Blaine be angry that Kurt had coffee with a friend? "Who's Chandler?" He didn't believe the accusations one bit, but he sensed that there was a back-story he didn't know, if Kurt was afraid of Blaine's reaction.

"He was a counselor at camp as well. He had a crush on me and kissed me once because he didn't know I had a boyfriend. He immediately backed off when I told him and we're friends now. I needed someone to talk to on Monday because I had a bad day and Blaine couldn't make it, that's all."

Burt nodded, understanding why Blaine might misunderstand the situation.

"You'll be fine. He's coming over for dinner tonight and you just have to sit down together and talk it out," Burt assured his son, feeling guilty that he had caused problems in their relationship again.

Had he not told Kurt to hide his sexuality, Nelson probably wouldn't have felt the need to publicly out and humiliate his son.

"I'm sorry Kurt. I should have been upfront about you and should have made sure that everyone knows I don't have a problem with you being gay."

"Yes you should have. I told you everyone at school knew about Blaine and I. At some point someone would have talked even if Rick didn't go to school with me. But what's done is done so can I please go upstairs to do some damage control. I'm too angry right now to keep talking to you."

Burt knew he deserved his son's anger and he knew it would take a lot of groveling and apologizing to get back in Kurt's good graces. He had to apologize to a lot of people it seemed and he better got to it.

* * *

 

When Carole came home from the grocery store she found Burt sitting in the living room with his head in his hands. She had seen Kurt's car in the driveway and one look at the articles on the coffee table, told her immediately what was wrong.

"Kurt okay?" she asked her husband who she had been avoiding the past week. Burt shook his head. "No and that's my fault. I should have listened to you," he acknowledged and Carole sat down next to him and rubbed his shoulder.

"Yeah, you should have, but I know you're going to do everything to make this right, right?" Carole was ready to forgive her husband for the sake of their children who didn't need their parents fighting on top of everything else.

"I will and the first thing I'm doing is making you my campaign manager. This was your plan first, so I want to know your ideas so we can beat that bastard."

Carole was positively surprised. She had sat down and thought a bit about how she would handle a campaign should she run for office and she was happy that Burt wanted her help.

"You know how Nelson keeps telling people only one kind of family is the "right family"? I think we should show him how perfectly normal ours is. Invite some reporters over for a Friday night dinner that Blaine and Sarah are attending as well, if Sarah's parents allow it. Maybe we can ask the Berrys and some guys from the PFLAG meetings over as well so that we can show that we are supportive of all kinds of families."

Burt smiled at her as she rambled on until she trailed off. "I love you," he told her, "and I'm so honored you agreed to be my campaign manager."

Carole smiled as well and leaned in for a quick kiss to show she had forgiven him.

"Come on and help me with dinner," Carole stood up and went into the kitchen, Burt obediently trailing behind her. She hadn't planned on making dessert but with things being as they were in their house she was sure they could all use some comfort food.

* * *

 

As soon as Kurt had gotten to his room he had pulled out his phone and sent a text to Blaine, telling him they had to talk and to please not bail on him. Blaine luckily had responded and assured him he would be there in time for dinner. Unfortunately he hadn't given Kurt any clues as to whether he already knew about the articles or not.

He tried to practice his audition song for Rent to pass the time, but he was too nervous and kept screwing up even simple notes. Working on homework wasn't going any better and so he ended up helping Carole bake cookies in the kitchen.

His dad was luckily gone by the time he went into the kitchen, because he really didn't want to talk to him right now. He was so angry that someone had publicly accused him of cheating, with Chandler of all people.

Rationally, he knew his dad wasn't directly responsible for the article but he had to blame someone and Rick the Stick wasn't around to experience Kurt's wrath and if he didn't want to cost his dad the election he couldn't really retaliate until after the election in November.

Five minutes before six the doorbell rang and Kurt looked up confusedly because Blaine never rang the bell. He wiped his hands on his apron and took it off before heading for the front door.

"Why didn't you just come in?" he asked his boyfriend who froze with his finger on the doorbell.

"I wasn't sure I was still welcome here," Blaine admitted, looking defeated. Kurt wanted to get angry for a moment because apparently Blaine believed he was a cheater but then he spotted Blaine's bloody and swollen knuckles.

"Oh my god, what happened? Are you okay?" He took Blaine's uninjured hand into his own and led him upstairs to his bathroom where he washed of the blood and put an ice pack on Blaine's hand.

"Sebastian happened," Blaine explained once Kurt was done tending to his injury. "He was taunting me with an article about you and then hit on me again, so I lost my cool and punched him in the face."

Kurt gasped. Violence was not accepted at Dalton and as much as he didn't like Blaine being away from him, he hoped he was going to be okay.

"You know it's not true what the article said, right?" he asked Blaine, dreading the answer.

Blaine moved closer to Kurt and took his hand into his own. "I do, but why were you having coffee with Chandler? Not that I don't trust you, but he does have a crush on you."

Kurt stared at their linked hands. He hadn't meant to bring up last Friday, but it was connected to Kurt meeting Chandler.

"When you told me Monday you couldn't see me for another three hours when I needed you I thought you were just going to blow me off again like you did when you were at that party, so asked Chandler to meet me because I needed to see a friendly face that afternoon. And he doesn't have a crush on me anymore. He met someone."

Blaine looked confused and Kurt wondered how much his boyfriend had to drink at the party. "But I didn't talk to you. I triple checked my phone when you wouldn't take my calls on Saturday."

"I know you didn't talk to me but you did text me you had something better to do than talk to me," Kurt reminded Blaine who suddenly looked furious.

"That fucking asshole. I knew something was off when he suddenly had my phone, but I checked and everything seemed okay. I didn't have any missed calls."

Kurt clenched Blaine's hand a little tighter than necessary when he realized who Blaine was referring to. He knew Blaine going to school with Sebastian wasn't a good idea.

"I'm sorry. I should have realized you'd never talk to me like that," Kurt apologized because if he hadn't refused to talk to Blaine on Saturday, they could have had their issues resolved days ago.

"And I should have known something was seriously wrong when you didn't try to see me on Sunday. I should have come here and just made you talk to me."

"So are we okay, now?" Kurt asked tentatively. Blaine cupped his jaw and captured his mouth in a sweet kiss. "So okay."

They hadn't kissed in nearly two weeks and Kurt was not content to stop after one little kiss. He locked his arms around Blaine's neck and started kissing him passionately and it didn't take long for Kurt to end up on top of Blaine.

Family forgotten, they started working on the buttons of both of their shirts and Kurt had just managed to pull Blaine's completely off when Blaine's phone rang in his bag.

"Ignore it," Blaine whispered still fighting with a button on Kurt's shirt, but Kurt finally remembered that his parents were downstairs and Finn was next door and moved off of Blaine to get his bag.

Blaine pouted but accepted his bag and took out his phone to take the call. Kurt was rebuttoning his shirt as he watched Blaine listening to what was being said on the phone.

His boyfriend suddenly became very pale and Kurt put his hand on his knee and squeezed it to show his support. Blaine didn't say much apart from ‘yes, sir’ and ‘I understand’ and when he hung up his hands were shaking.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked concerned.

"They are going to expel me."


	5. October

"I'm so sorry we didn't get them to change their minds," Kurt whispered as he and Blaine lay together in Blaine's bedroom and Kurt was running his hands through Blaine's ungelled curls.

"You heard what Headmaster Davies said. His hands are tide because I can't prove Sebastian has continued to harass me at Dalton, while Sebastian is the one with the broken nose. Oh and his dad is a fucking state's attorney and I should consider myself lucky they won't press charges," Blaine spat out.

Kurt moved behind his boyfriend and started massaging the tense muscles in Blaine's back. "And I'll make him pay for that because no one touches my boyfriend against his will and comes out as the victim. I just don't know how yet."

As much as Kurt wanted to drive up to Dalton again to take care of Sebastian for good, he couldn't do that during his dad's campaign just like he couldn't do anything to Rick the Stick at the moment. And maybe it was good he had some time to cool off because he was seriously rethinking his stance on physical violence right now.

Blaine moved away from Kurt's hands to turn around and gave him a dopey smile, although his eyes were still slightly red-rimmed. "At least we are together again. And if I don't get into Columbia next year I can go somewhere else for a year and then try to transfer," he suggested but Kurt shook his head.

"We are in this together so wherever you're going I'm going with you. New York isn't the only city with good music schools."

He had already made an appointment with Ms. Pillsbury, the school's guidance counselor to get information about the different music programs in the country after all. And there was no guarantee he would even get into a school in New York. They just needed to have faith that fate wanted them to together after high school.

"I don't want to hold you back though," Blaine protested, but Kurt had made up his mind.

"Let's just get you back to McKinley on Monday and I'm sure if you just do your best you'll get into every school you apply for," he assured his boyfriend before distracting him from the worries about their future by pressing Blaine into the mattress and kissing him passionately until Tala called them to dinner.

* * *

 

Monday morning saw Blaine's return to McKinley and though Kurt was still pissed that Dalton hadn't protected Blaine he was happy to walk hand in hand with boyfriend down the hallways again.

No one had given them much grief about it the previous year apart from a few stares and nasty comments and Kurt had no plans to let that freshman that wouldn't leave him alone ruin his senior year with Blaine.

He had convinced Blaine that auditioning for the musical would be good for him and would look good on his college applications if he still wanted to major in music theory and composition.

Kurt had kept quiet himself about his audition piece even after much begging from Blaine to tell him and he just hoped he wouldn't make a fool out of himself by auditioning for Mark instead of Angel. But if Neil Patrick Harris could pull it off, he should be able to play a straight character as well. And it wasn't like his character had to make out with girls or something like that.

He had rehearsed a solo version of 'What you own' that was slightly higher than the original because he didn't want to strain his vocal chords and he was beyond relieved when Ms. Corcoran and her two assistants applauded and told him to read a scene after he finished the song.

He knew they weren't supposed to watch the auditions but he just had to see Blaine's, so he snuck upstairs to one of the balconies and hid in the shadow when his boyfriend came on stage. Blaine's rendition of 'One Song Glory' left him in tears and he had no doubt in his mind that Blaine would get cast as Roger while he was pretty sure the directors would give him Angel, if he even got cast at all.

His worries were eased a bit the next day in Glee when Ms. Corcoran announced they would double cast all roles so the whole club could be involved and who ever wasn't performing a lead role a certain night would be part of the ensemble. Sugar, Sarah and Joe, would hadn't auditioned for various reasons looked happy that they could be involved after all, and Kurt also had a smile on his face when he made his way over to Ms. Pillsbury's office.

An hour later, he left her office armed with information about pretty much every music school in the country and he immediately started working his way through it as soon as he got home. He had always equated leaving Ohio with moving to New York but now that he had all this information he realized that there might actually be schools he would fit into better outside of New York.

Just as Blaine had plans to apply to many different schools – and many of them were on Kurt's list as well – he started to fill out applications for schools in California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and even Ohio, although his dream still was to get into Julliard, because they had an amazing voice program.

Waiting for the cast list to go up was nerve racking because it would be the first time he might be participating in a play since he left middle school and became a camp counselor instead of attending it.

Blaine did his best to distract him, barely having left his side since he moved back to Lima and Kurt had to admit it was working. They went on dates to Breadstix or the movies or just hung out in either of their houses, though Kurt still preferred to stay at Blaine's when his dad was home because their issues weren't completely resolved yet. His dad's apology had been a start, but he just wasn't ready to completely forgive him yet. Luckily, Blaine kept out of it this time, because his dad had already caused enough arguments between them.

Finally it was Friday, the day Ms. Corcoran had promised to put the cast list up, and after making it through all his rather boring classes, he and Blaine made their way over to the choir room where most of the other Gleeks were already congregating around the notice board.

To say he was surprised when he saw some of the casting choices was an understatement especially when he saw that shy Tina had been cast as Mimi. Suddenly he was pulled into a tight hug and when Blaine finally released him, he allowed himself to look over the list more thoroughly.

Cast list Rent:

Roger: Blaine Anderson/ Noah Puckerman

Mark: Kurt Hummel/ Artie Abrams

Maureen: Rachel Berry/ Mercedes Jones

Mimi: Tina Cohen-Chang/ Brittany Pierce

Joanne: Santana Lopez/ Harmony Pearce

Collins: Sam Evans/ Mike Chang

Angel: Rory Flannigan/ Ryder Lynn

Benny: Finn Hudson

Ensemble: Sugar Motta, Sarah Jameson, Joe Hart

He was especially surprised when he saw who had auditioned for Collins and Angel, assuming Ms. Corcoran had cast everyone for the role they auditioned for, and he was happy to see that Mercedes had gotten the role she wanted even though she had to share it with Rachel. They might have all grown up together but when it came to competing for solos they had butted heads more than once.

The best thing about the cast list was, that he got to be the Mark to Blaine's Roger and he got a chance to prove to everyone that he was talented enough to pull off roles that weren't stereotypical gay characters, because he had been afraid that he would only ever get type cast if he ever made it.

Nothing could dampen his spirits that day, not even his dad's impending press conference where he would finally comment on the rumors spread about their family in various newspapers and Sue's corner. At least he would have Blaine by his side.

* * *

 

Burt knew the press conference was his chance to get back in Kurt's good graces and if that meant having to be honest about his past, so be it.

"I know my opponent thinks there is only one kind of family," he opened, "but looking at my own family, I have to say I don't agree. Family means loving and supporting one another regardless of a blood connection, protecting and respecting your family members. I have been blessed with a second chance at family when I met my wonderful wife Carole and her son Finn, who I love as much as my own son."

"Why did you hide your son's sexuality then? Are you ashamed of him?" a reporter interrupted.

"I didn't talk about my son's private life because that's what it is – private and I am displeased that my teenage son and his underage boyfriend were dragged into this," he answered the question as calmly as possible.

"I have made mistakes in the past," he continued, "but I assure you I am very proud to be Kurt's father."

Burt took a deep breath. This was it, he was going to tell everyone what a bad father he had been.

"But I'm also going to be honest with you. I haven't always been as understanding of my son as I am now. I was misinformed and ignorant and it took me a long time to accept him fully. I met some wonderful people along the way who helped me understand better, most importantly my friends Hiram and LeRoy Berry and their lovely daughter Rachel, another example that family means more than having two biological parents."

Another reporter interrupted his speech. "You say you are fully supportive of your son now – what about the cheating allegations though?"

Burt didn't like what the man was insinuating but he knew he had to remain calm.

"Those are vicious rumors spread by my opponents son who goes to school with my two sons. They are unfounded and even if they were true they are frankly non of your business."

Before he could get into explaining his campaign to change the topic from the invasive questions about his family, a young woman raised her hand and Burt hoped that she would at least have a valid question.

"A statement you released last week stated that you support music education and the arts in our schools. William McKinley High School has just cut its budget, meaning the musical your sons participate in is in danger of being cancelled. What do you plan to do about that?"

Burt tried not to show that this was the first time he heard about that and he wondered why neither Kurt nor Finn had mentioned him.

"For this particular school, I will try to get public funding from other local business owners in exchange for ad space in the programs," he quickly invented, " but this is of course not a long term solution. Should I be elected I'm going to propose a bill that will make it harder for schools to use the budget set aside for the arts for sports programs that already have funding through sponsorships and alumni donations in addition to school funding allotted to them. Why is it that we greatly value athletes in our community, but turn a blind eye to all the kids who excel in other areas," he asked rhetorically.

In high school he had shared the sentiment that sports were cool and ensured you were at the top of the food chain and all the other kids were losers and as athletes it was their god given right to put them into their places.

But he had seen first hand how Glee club had changed Finn's life after he wasn't allowed to join the football team the previous year and from what he had heard, music had helped his son as well, when his life was otherwise unbearable.

He answered a couple more questions that were thankfully not about his family, before he went over the main points of his candidacy again, hoping they'd get a fair coverage of his press conference.

When it was over, he saw Finn, Carole, Kurt and Blaine standing together in the back of the room. Carole gave him a kiss on the cheek when he reached them and smoothed out his collar.

"You did good, honey," she told him and he was glad he had at least won over one of his family members.

"Why didn't you tell me about the funding being cut for the musical," he asked as he turned over to his sons.

Finn was staring at the floor but Kurt looked at him defiantly. "We were going to handle it ourselves," he muttered.

Apparently Kurt was still mad at him, but his son always surprised him when he least expected it. "I liked your speech though," Kurt admitted but he didn't look too happy when he said it. It didn't matter though; it was a start.

"I meant what I said," Burt continued. "If you want to raise money for the musical, that's great but I'm still talking to some other small business owners to help you get the money you need."

"Thanks, Burt," Finn piped up earning him a glare from Kurt. "We already tried a bake sale but we didn't earn much and the cheerios refused to help us with a car wash unless we give them sixty percent of the profits."

Burt knew that buying Kurt's forgiveness was not an option but there was a problem he could solve for his son and he would be damned if he didn't do his best to make that musical happen, because his kids deserved to have something good in their lives as much as the jocks and cheerleaders at McKinley.

* * *

 

It took Blaine a couple of days to get used to going to public school again, but now that he was back, he enjoyed being able with Kurt every day once more. He had tried to stay strong for both of them, but the distance had been hard for him as well.

So he was worried when he noticed how Kurt flinched when someone passed by him too closely or when a locker shut with a bang next to him. Kurt acted like he had when Blaine had met him at Dalton and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Apart from the occasional stares he was left alone at McKinley, but if Kurt was being bullied again for being gay, shouldn't the same apply to Blaine as well? He was determined to find out what was going on, but when he tried to talk to Kurt about it, Kurt just deflected and told him he was fine, just a bit stressed because of homework, Glee and the musical.

Classes at McKinley were a joke and both Kurt and Blaine knew that, so he was sure Kurt's sudden jumpiness wasn't attributed to a heavy workload.

But Blaine knew by now that if Kurt didn't want to talk about something he wouldn't talk about it, unless it directly affected Blaine, because they had promised each other not to keep secrets like this anymore.

So Blaine was worried. Worried enough that he started following Kurt around school when they didn't go to classes together. Everything was fine at first, all though he missed Kurt a couple of times, so he was starting to convince himself that he made it all up in his head and nothing was going on at school.

Until he forgot his math book in his locker and had to go back to retrieve it before class. Kurt had a free period he usually spent in the library working on his college applications, so he definitely was surprised when he spotted his boyfriend walking down a hallway, constantly looking out for something or someone.

The mystery didn't last much longer when a younger looking boy suddenly came around the corner and Kurt flinched before he was shoved against a row of lockers. The boy didn't even spare a glance at Kurt who had ended up on the floor and just continued on his way as if nothing had happened.

Blaine was about to run toward Kurt and demand that Kurt tell him what was going on, when Kurt picked himself up from the floor, brushed off his clothes and quickly went the other way. Blaine wanted to follow him, but was stopped by his math teacher who asked why he wasn't in class yet. As much as he wanted to talk to Kurt to make sure he was okay, he didn't have a choice but follow Mr. Hampton to his classroom.

He spent most of the lesson trying to figure out why the younger boy was singling Kurt out and "only" pushed him around without actually calling him names, but he didn't come up with any good reasons.

He just knew that now that he knew what Kurt was hiding, he would make his boyfriend talk about it, because Kurt deserved one final year at high school where no one was bullying him.

* * *

 

All around him, his classmates were starting to fill out college application and even at home he couldn't escape the ever-present talk about college because Kurt and Blaine were usually working on their applications and essays together on the kitchen table.

Everyone seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do with their lives, but Finn just felt lost. When he started high school he had been sure that he would get a football scholarship to a university where he would play for them until he was discovered by a scout. He had realized by now though that he was at best a decent player and that a football scholarship wasn't really feasible.

He knew that he could just work for Burt, either here or in Austin, but even though he liked cars he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a mechanic his whole life. Even his mom went to college now and seemed to have a plan for her future, so why was Finn so stuck?

He had tried to talk to Kurt about it, but all Kurt had done was tell him to visit the guidance counselor to take a career aptitude test, but he was kind of afraid to see the results. What if he was only good enough to work at a gas station, like Kurt always told the jocks who had bullied him in school.

So when his mom and Burt sat him down one day and asked the dreaded, have you thought about college yet question, he nearly started to cry. He had no goals or crazy dreams like his brother and so many others in glee club, but having to admit that out loud made his predicament even more real.

"You don't have to chose right now, honey," his mom told him when he finished telling his parents what he was worried about. "I would love for you to go to college straight away, but you can always work for Burt for a year until you figure out what you want to do. Or you could take classes at Dayton like I do."

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay in Lima a bit longer. At least until he had figured out what he wanted out of his life. There was one other option though, that he hadn't dared to discuss with his mom yet. He knew his dad had died a hero and when he was younger he had imagined following in his dad's footsteps – not the dying part, but the being a hero part.

He was afraid however that his mom wouldn't support his decision and as long as he wasn't eighteen and old enough to sign up that was a discussion that could wait.

"Your mom's right buddy," Burt interrupted his train of thoughts. "You can always work at the shop for a bit until you figure things out, whether that's in Lima or in Austin or somewhere else you'd like to go. Staying in Lima doesn't make you a loser, just because your friends talk about going to New York or California."

It was as if Burt could read his mind. He was afraid to become what Kurt called a Lima loser if he stayed, but Burt had remained in Ohio as well and was doing pretty good now, owning his own two auto shops.

"Maybe I'll apply to a few colleges in the area to see if they'd even take me," he told his parents after he had some time to think things through, "and maybe I can still work for Burt part time until I figure things out."

If he didn't get into college, there was always the army and if he joined he wouldn't have to worry about paying for tuition anymore either. He knew that was a conversation he needed to have with his mom, but not yet. Especially not when he wasn't sure how she would react to that.

His father had joined the army because his mom had gotten pregnant with him and they needed the money and he was afraid his mom wouldn't understand the reasons why he wanted to do it when he didn't have to.

Growing up was hard and sometimes Finn wished he could turn back time to the days where all he had to think about was if he could wear a certain shirt another day before it really started to smell.

* * *

 

Carole wouldn't admit it to her son, but she was relieved when he told her he had no grand plans to leave home as soon as he graduated like Kurt and Blaine had. Although she would miss all three of them terribly, for the longest time it had only be Finn and her and she wasn't ready to let him go.

She shared her thoughts with Tala though, when the two women met up for coffee after classes had ended. Carole had managed to convince Tala to sign up for community college as well and they met at least twice a week when they had classes at the same time.

"I know what you mean," Tala assured her. "I just got Blaine back, just to see him leave in less than a year. Though I'm grateful he gave me even this one year."

Carole chuckled. "I think we're both already suffering from empty nest syndrome before they boys have even left."

"At least you and Burt have plans to have another baby. I'm not even ready yet to try dating for the first time," Tala admitted and Carole felt sorry for her because even if both of her boys left next year she would still have Burt.

"I don't know if the baby is still happening. We've been trying for months now, but I'm still not pregnant," she confided in Blaine's mom.

She knew that at some point they would have to see a doctor to figure out why they had trouble conceiving but she wasn't ready to hear the verdict yet. As long as she didn't get her worries confirmed, that there was something wrong with her, there was still hope.

"If it's supposed to happen, it's going to happen," Tala assured her but Carole could see that she was worried as well.

The first time around she had gotten pregnant even though she had been on birth control, but this time around, when she actually wanted it to happen, her body refused to cooperate. At thirty-five it really shouldn't be that hard to get pregnant.

Not wanting to think about it any longer she switched the topic to the fundraiser she and Tala were planning to ensure art funding for other schools in the Lima area that might have been affected by budget cuts as well. Burt had managed to get the money together for McKinley quite easily, but Carole and Tala wanted to make sure that other kids in their district were afforded the same opportunities.

Also, keeping herself busy with classes, the fundraiser and her part-time job helped distract her from the fact that their kids would graduate soon and she wouldn't be needed any longer.

She had done her best to raise Finn and later Kurt right, and now she needed to have faith that she had really done her best and they would be okay once they left home and left her behind.

* * *

 

Kurt was seriously regretting auditioning for Mark when he screwed up the choreography for 'Tango Maureen' yet again and Santana stormed out of the room muttering profanities in Spanish because he stepped on her toes constantly.

How was he supposed to get into a performing arts college when he couldn't even do a school musical?

Rehearsing with Harmony hadn't gone much better and Kurt was certain at that point that he must be the shittiest dancer in the group – probably even worse then Finn, because at least Finn didn't interrupt rehearsals because he couldn't get things right.

Mike had told him he was thinking too hard and to just let the music guide him, but he just couldn't stop analyzing each step he was supposed to take.

So it was in a fit of despair that he ran upstairs to his room, disregarding Blaine who told him to wait, and ripped his Julliard application to shreds. They wouldn't have to worry about Blaine's college situation anymore because Kurt Hummel was never getting out of Lima.

He collapsed onto his bed and started sobbing into his hands, hating himself for giving up so easily.

Warm hands were on his soon though and pulled them from his eyes, so he could meet Blaine's concerned ones.

"Oh Kurt," Blaine whispered. "Why did you do that?" his boyfriend asked pointing to the remains of his application.

"I'm not good enough," Kurt sobbed "and they are just going to think I'm a joke if I apply." It was a crazy dream to begin with and it was time he realized it was nothing but a dream that would never come true.

"Hey, don't say that stuff about my boyfriend," Blaine admonished him. "He is incredibly talented and so strong."

Kurt didn't feel strong at all in that moment and he hated disappointing Blaine who probably only said what he did because he was his boyfriend.

He felt himself being pulled into Blaine's strong arms and let himself be held for a while, during which Blaine was stroking his hair and ran his hand up and down Kurt's back soothingly.

"You know, Ms. Corcoran wouldn't have cast you if she didn't think you could do it," Blaine assured him once Kurt had calmed down a bit.

Maybe, but that was before she had seen him dance. Kurt shook his head. "Even Artie is better than me and he's in a wheel chair," he muttered.

Blaine kissed his temple before standing up and holding his hand out to Kurt. "Dance with me?" he asked and Kurt looked up in surprise before he shook his head. He didn't want to hurt Blaine's toes as well.

"Come on. You're trying to hard. I want to show you that dancing can be fun," Blaine tried again and Kurt let himself be pulled to his feet reluctantly.

Once Kurt was fully upright, Blaine went over to Kurt's iPod and plucked it into his speakers.

"Remember when we watched Moulin Rouge the last time and you force me to learn the steps to 'Roxanne'? We did alright back then," Blaine asked.

Kurt did remember, especially how happy he had been when he and Blaine had finally made it work. But back then no one had been watching him, so there was no pressure to succeed.

Suddenly the music started up and Blaine pulled Kurt closer, before dipping him back and spinning him around the room. Kurt lost himself in the feeling of Blaine's arms around him, their bodies pressed tight against each other, and just like that everything felt easy again.

He didn't trip or stumble and instead of counting his steps he let his body follow Blaine's as he led him through the music.

When the song was over they both fell on the bed panting, but the smile on Kurt's face was back.

"Thank you," he whispered against Blaine's lips who wasted no time and pressed them together. They kissed for a while but kept it chaste because his family was downstairs again.

Kurt must have nodded off at some point because when he woke up from his nap, Blaine was sitting at his desk, filling out some forms.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked as he stretched his sore muscles.

"I'm redoing you Julliard application," Blaine turned around to face him before he answered, "because I can't let you give up on your dream just because of a small hurdle."

Kurt gave Blaine a grateful smile. He knew he had to learn how to overcome obstacles if he wanted to make it on Broadway on his own, because he couldn't always expect Blaine to hold his hand when things got hard, but for now he was content to let his boyfriend take care of him.

"Let me take you out this weekend," he suddenly said because it had been a while since he had done something special for Blaine.

Blaine looked hesitant for a moment and Kurt wondered if he had done something else wrong.

"I'd love to, Kurt. But there is something we need to talk about before."

* * *

Blaine had been meaning to confront Kurt with the bullying situation as soon as he found out about it, but something always came up and Kurt was already so stressed out with rehearsals he didn't want to add to it. He had continued following his boyfriend around at school, but hadn't observed another incident, so he thought it could wait.

But then he saw Kurt look spooked again, when he entered the auditorium where they were rehearsing for the musical and he had decided it was definitely time to take action.

Rehearsal hadn't gone well for Kurt though, and before he could talk to Kurt about it, Kurt had ran up to his room and when he had caught up with him Kurt was sobbing on his bed, surrounded by the remnants of his Julliard application and Blaine's first order of business was to make sure Kurt was okay.

When Kurt had been cheered up sufficiently, Blaine moved over to Kurt's bed and took his hand into his own.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being bullied again?" he asked and Kurt looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"I'm not being bullied," he stuttered, but Blaine just raised his eyebrow.

"I saw it happen Kurt." Kurt looked down to their clasped hands.

"I don't even know his name and he's the only one who is doing it so I thought I could handle it myself," he whispered. "I don't even think he's homophobic because he has never said anything to me about that. He only ever pushes me around and says I have to pay for what I have done," Kurt continued, still not looking at Blaine.

Blaine had suspected that there was more to the story because he hadn't been targeted at all and now more than ever, he needed to find out what was going on.

"Then we need to find out who he is and what his problem is," he told his distraught boyfriend. "I also think you should tell your dad about it."

Blaine knew Kurt wouldn't like the idea because he and Burt still hadn't fully made up, but he was sure Burt would be willing to help if he knew what was happening at school.

"Not yet," Kurt finally looked up at him, a determined look on his face. "Like you said, let's find out what's going on first and maybe I can talk to him about his issues with me."

"Alright," Blaine agreed because he knew Kurt would be pissed if he went behind his back and told Burt. "But I'm coming with you when you talk to him."

Kurt immediately shook his head. "He told me not to tell anyone and if he sees you he might get even angrier. Please let me take care of this on my own, and I promise to tell you if I need your help."

Blaine didn't like that at all, but Kurt would probably find a way to do it on his own anyway. He could enlist the help of someone else though.

He excused himself to the bathroom and went over to Finn's room, where he found Finn blasting zombies on his Playstation.

Kurt wouldn't be happy either that he told Finn but he needed another set of eyes in the hallways. To his surprise Finn already knew about what was going on, but had been sworn to secrecy as well.

"His name is Tim Karofsky and he's on the football team as well. Only on reserve though, that's why he isn't wearing a letterman jacket," Finn filled him in and Blaine froze when he heard the last name. It had to be a coincidence, right?

He thanked Finn for the information and went back to Kurt's room where Kurt was busy cleaning up the mess he made.

"I described the guy to Finn and he recognized him as a guy from the football team," he explained when he joined Kurt.

"I'm not sure if it means anything, but his name is Tim Karofsky." Kurt's reaction was the same as Blaine's had been. He froze, before he said with a weary look on his face. "Of course it is."

* * *

 

Burt was home alone because Kurt and Carole had gone out grocery shopping and Finn was at football practice. So he was surprised to hear the front door open only ten minutes after his wife and son had left.

"Did you forget something?" he called out and walked over to the front door, only to come face to face with Blaine who looked like he had been crying.

"Is Kurt here?" his son's boyfriend asked and Burt shook his head.

"That's okay, I'll just wait for him upstairs." Blaine made his way over to the stairs but Burt stopped him. Since his argument with Kurt, Blaine had been distant as well, but he didn't want the boy to think he couldn't come to him anymore if he was in trouble.

"Come on, sit down. Let me get you a glass of water," he told him and led Blaine into the living room.

When he returned from the kitchen, Blaine was sitting where he left him, but he didn't lift his eyes from the floor.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?" Burt asked after handing Blaine the glass.

The room was silent for a bit and Burt was starting to think that Blaine wouldn't talk at all, when he finally spoke up in a dejected voice.

"My dad read the article that reporter wrote when we all had dinner here," he explained. Burt knew immediately what Blaine was referring to. They had invited the press to a Friday night dinner, to show he had absolutely no problem with Kurt or his boyfriend. How Blaine's father had gotten wind of it in Michigan, he didn't know.

"I take it he wasn't too happy about it," he prodded when Blaine didn't continue.

Instead of answering the question, Blaine handed Burt his phone, an email open on the display.

Burt felt his blood boil when he read what Mr. Anderson had written to his son. How could someone call his son a disgrace to the family name and wishing his child were dead? He wasn't father of the year by a long shot, but that was even worse than the crap the man had said when he had run into him in Cincinnati.

When he looked up from the phone Blaine was crying again and so Burt did the only thing that felt right in this situation and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

Once he released him and Blaine had wiped away his tears, Burt looked him straight into the eye.

"No matter what that man said – and I'm not going to call him your father because he doesn't deserve that – you are certainly not a disappointment or weak. I'm glad to know you because you made my son happy and you are a good kid. And I would be proud to call you my son. So please don't ever listen to what he is saying. You deserve better."

This time it was Blaine who threw himself into Burt's arms and Burt let him cry into his shoulder. Like he had before, he wondered why anyone wouldn't be proud to be Blaine's dad, as the boy was smart and polite and always did his best to make the people around him happy. He wished Mr. Anderson could have learned what he had over time, but that message seemed to prove that the man wasn't going to change.

"I know you have your mom now, but I just want you to know that you're always welcome here and if you need someone to talk you can come to Carole or I," he continued comforting Kurt's boyfriend.

There was a choked sob coming from the entrance to the living room and when Burt looked up, he spotted Kurt standing there, clutching a grocery bag to his chest while a tear was streaming down his own face.

Blaine looked up at the sound as well and immediately launched himself at Kurt who dropped the bag at the force. Burt watched as Kurt guided Blaine upstairs before picking up the bag and carrying it into the kitchen where Carole was unpacking the rest of the bags.

"They okay?" she asked and Burt shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure they will be."

Suddenly there was a smile on Carole's face and she pointed at something behind him. Burt slowly turned around, only to come face to face with his son. Kurt closed to gap quickly and embraced him tightly and Burt never wanted to let him go.

"I love you, dad, you know that right?" Kurt mumbled and Burt only hugged him tighter. "I love you too, kiddo. Now, why don't you go back upstairs and take care of that boy of yours. We'll let you know when dinner is ready."

Kurt gave him a water smile and left the kitchen to get back upstairs. Burt turned around to his wife with a sigh.

"Hey, come on. None of that," she told him. "You managed to avert another crisis, so we should celebrate."

Burt slumped down on his chair though. "I know, but I feel really bad for Blaine. I wish there was something I could do."

Carole sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "I know Burt, but people have to be willing to change, because as much as we would like to, we can't force them. We'll just have to be there for all of our boys to show them they are loved. There's nothing more we can do."

Burt knew his wife was right, but he wished it didn't have to be like that. He just hoped his candidacy and new campaign would help a few people open up their eyes to love.

* * *

 

Finn had been furious when Blaine told him Kurt was still being harassed by the tall freshman, but had promised to let Kurt handle it nevertheless, because he knew he would probably handle the problem with his fists.

Still, when he saw Tim hang around after football practice was over, as if he was waiting for someone, Finn hid inside the locker room to observe what he was doing.

Not five minutes later, Kurt walked around the corner, probably on his way to meet Finn, and Tim immediately walked over to him. Unlike the last time he had seen the two of them together, Kurt immediately started saying something to the other boy, but Finn was too far away to hear what they were talking about.

At first it looked like Kurt was handling the situation well and Tim was actually listening to him, but suddenly he yelled at Kurt, "shut the fuck up," before punching Kurt in the stomach, who promptly went down.

Finn immediately charged at the boy and tackled him to the floor and got a few good punches in before he was yanked back by coach Beiste.

"All three of you, principal's office now," she yelled before helping Kurt up who was clutching his stomach.

"Does either of you have to see the nurse before you go," she asked with a gentler voice when she noticed the state the three of them were in, but they all shook their heads.

In principal Figgins office, Kurt and Finn sat on one side while Tim was sitting opposite them, glaring at them from time to time.

"Please explain," the principal ordered, but Finn decided it would be better if he kept his mouth shut because he didn't really know what Kurt and his bully had talked about.

"Fine, if you are not going to talk, I want to see you here tomorrow with a parent, understood," principal Figgins told them and both Kurt and Finn nodded their heads while the other boy was refusing to look at the principal.

"You too Mr. Karofsky," the principal ordered and Finn noticed that Kurt flinched next to him when he heard the name.

The three of them left the office, but Finn ducked back inside the office for a moment. "He has been hurting Kurt for a while now and I only tried to defend my brother, " he told the coach who was still there as well.

"Why haven't you come forward with this then?" she asked and Finn shrugged. "Kurt told me not to and I've only seen him do it once. But Blaine Anderson has seen it too."

"Then I need to see Mr. Anderson in here tomorrow morning as well," the principal told Finn sternly and Finn left quickly now that he told the teachers what had been going on.

He quickly texted Blaine as he walked out to Kurt's car and told him to meet them at the Hudmel house. It was time to take care of the issues once and for all.

* * *

 

Carole was doing her best to calm down her husband after he received a call from the school telling him to come see the principal the following morning about a fight Kurt and Finn were part of. Carole couldn't believe Kurt would get involved in something like this, so she wanted to hear their side of the story before she made any rash judgments.

Half an hour after they had received the call, Finn, Kurt and Blaine arrived at home, Kurt leaning on Blaine, while Finn's right hand was wrapped in ice.

"You three, living room now," Burt ordered and Carole was actually getting worried about his blood pressure when she saw how red his face was.

The boys sat down next to each other in a show of solidarity, but neither of them offered an explanation as to why they had gotten into trouble.

"Can you tell us why we got a call from the school about you?" she asked gently because she didn't trust Burt to keep his calm.

Blaine shot Kurt a look but when her stepson didn't speak up, Blaine did instead.

"There is this guy who had been bullying Kurt. Finn caught him when he hit Kurt and punched him in retaliation," he explained quickly.

Burt turned over to where Kurt was sitting. "Why didn't you tell me about that?"

"I wanted to know first what his problem was and thought I could handle it myself," Kurt whispered.

Carole sensed that there was more to the story than the regular bullying Kurt and Blaine had been subjected to in the past.

"And did you find out why he didn't like you?" she asked him, moving forward and putting her hand on his knees.

Kurt nodded and Carole saw Blaine give him an encouraging look.

"He is Karofsky's younger brother. I don't know why he thinks that but he is convinced I led his brother on and broke his heart when I rejected him. He also thinks that I outed him to their dad and says it's my fault his brother hasn't been home since his dad found out."

From the corner of her eye Carole saw that Finn looked confused, but they had never told him about the time the boys ended up in a bar. Burt had filled her in however, and for a moment she wondered if it had been Burt who had outed Kurt's former bully.

As if he could read her mind, Burt addressed Kurt again. "Kurt, I did not tell Paul Karofsky. I might have threatened to do that, but it was never more than an empty threat."

"Well, someone must have. And now his brother thinks I have to pay for that," Kurt responded angrily.

"So wait, this is all about a guy with a crush on Kurt?" Finn finally voiced his confusion and if looks could kill, Carole would have one son less.

Luckily, Burt explained the situation before Kurt could harm Finn and by the time Burt was finished, Finn looked pissed as well.

Burt sighed next to her as he took another look at the three boys in front of him. "Kurt, Finn, I want you to stay home tomorrow so I can get a chance to talk to Paul about this all. Blaine, I think you have to come with me, so you can tell the principal what you know about the situation."

Kurt looked like he was about to protest, but Burt cut him off. "You tried to handle it on your own and got hurt. I know you're not a child anymore, but sometimes you have to let the adults take care of things."

Kurt snapped his mouth shut and gave him a court nod that turned into a look of relief soon after.

Feeling the tension in the room slowly dissipate, Carole clapped her hands and stood up.

"Why don't I order us some take out so we can forget about this whole thing for the night. Pizza okay for everyone? Blaine, you're welcome to stay."

It was a testament to how exhausted Kurt must be because he just went along with it not even demanding they get some healthier options as well.

Carole released a sigh of her own once she was out of the living room. Why couldn't her boys just catch a break for once?


	6. November

Burt wasn't really sure how he turned from mentee to mentor, but there he was, sitting at a table in his favorite sports bar waiting for Paul Karofsky to show up. Saying yes to meeting up again after their talk in the principal's office, probably sealed the deal though.

_Burt was waiting for Blaine to finish up with the principal, when a guy his age sat down opposite him outside the office._

" _Paul? Paul Karofsky? It's Burt Hummel, we went to McKinley together," he introduced himself to his former classmate._

" _Burt? I didn't expect you to be here? Was it your kid who beat up mine?"_

_Burt shook his head. "My stepson, because apparently another son of yours had been bullying my son," he explained, hoping he didn't sound too accusatory._

" _My other son?" Paul looked confused, so Burt filled him in on everything that had been happening._

" _I'm so sorry, Burt. I didn't know all that. I'm gonna have a talk with Tim, tell him to leave Kurt alone." Burt felt relieved to hear that but there were a thing or two he was still curious about._

" _Listen, Paul. You don't have to tell me, but how did you find out about Dave. Tim seemed so sure that it was Kurt who told you," Burt asked Paul._

" _Oh, um, a coworker of mine saw him coming out of that queer bar in West Lima. I called Dave and told him I'd like to talk about it, but he hasn't returned any of my calls since then and refuses to come home."_

_Burt felt sorry for Paul in that moment because he looked lost and confused, like he had not too long ago._

" _And how do you feel about that?" he wondered out loud, because maybe, if he could help Paul accept his son, the Karofsky boys would leave Kurt alone for good._

" _I honestly don't know. With David refusing to talk to me, it's kind of hard to come to terms with it or understand what's going on," Paul replied and Burt was about to answer when Blaine left the principal's office._

" _Burt, you can go in now. I guess I see you later tonight," Blaine told him, shooting a nervous glance at Paul, before he left for class._

" _You're stepson?" Paul asked when Blaine had left. Burt shook his head. "My son's boyfriend," he explained, closely observing Paul's expression. Paul didn't look repulsed however, but he looked puzzled._

" _Listen Burt, do you think we can maybe get together at some point and you can explain some things to me. You seem to do some much better with that kind of stuff," he implored._

_Burt didn't know if he was the right person for the job, but the least he could do was share his own experience and hope for the best._

" _Yeah, I'd like that," he replied, before he and Paul went inside to meet with principal Figgins._

Paul had supported principal Figgins decision to suspend Tim for a week, because he needed time to talk to his younger son, and Burt hadn't argued either when Figgins decided on detention for Finn, Burt remembered as he was waiting for Paul to show up.

A few minutes later, the man walked in and slumped down in the chair opposite Burt.

"Any development?" Burt asked once they both had a beer in front of them. He cherished the few nights he went out without Carole when he didn't have to drink that light crap.

"I sent him another message telling him I really wanted to talk, but he hasn't responded yet," Paul told him dejectedly. "But maybe that's good because I'm still not so sure what I'm going to tell him."

Burt thought for a moment. It had been different for him because he wasn't there when Kurt was growing up and so he easily believed Kurt's lies because he was relieved that his previous assumptions hadn't been true. But he still had suspected it for a long time, so it didn't come as a complete shock.

Paul's son was a typical jock who had bullied another gay teenager and Burt knew it must be difficult for Paul to reconcile that image with the new information that his son was gay as well.

"Ideally, you'd tell him that it doesn't change anything and that you love him just as much. But don't tell him that unless you really believe it," Burt advised as Paul took a long sip of his drink.

"But it does change everything, doesn't it?" Paul finally said, and Burt saw in him the guy he was when he went to his first PFLAG meeting. And maybe that was what Paul needed. To meet some gay couples like Roy and his family or the Berries to show him that Dave could still have the life Paul had wanted him to have.

And so that was exactly what he did, he invited Paul to come along to the next meeting because as much as he wanted to be a mentor for Paul, just as Hiram and LeRoy had been for him, there was only so much he could do to help, because in some respect he was still learning himself; he was still making mistakes from time to time.

And though he hated Paul son's for what he had done to Kurt, he hoped that the boy would be able to let go of his anger some day in the future, so he would stop taking it out on innocent others.

* * *

 

Sectionals was only a few days away and after all the things that had happened lately and with the election only a week away, Blaine was glad he and Kurt hadn't auditioned for competition solos. They would have another chance at Regionals as soon as they beat the Warblers.

He still had two good friends in the group, but with Sebastian as a council member and self-proclaimed lead he just wanted to crush them.

They had a good set list in his opinion and he knew Kurt was happy for Mercedes who finally got her first competition solo with 'Out here on my own'. Rachel and Harmony, one of their newer members, would duet on 'Anything you can do' which really fitted the competition the two of them had going on and they would finish their set with a song they were already rehearsing for the musical – 'Seasons of Love' with Santana and Artie on lead.

However, as much as he was looking forward to the competition he also dreaded having a possible run-in with Sebastian. The other boy had texted him a few times after Blaine had gotten expelled, but Blaine had deleted the messages without reading them and had blocked Sebastian's number and email address.

Luckily, when Saturday came and the three other choirs started to arrive at McKinley where this year's Sectionals was being held he didn't see Sebastian anywhere in the sea of blazers passing him in the corridor. Trent waved to him, and Blaine promised to talk to him after the competition because it would be nice to catch up with him and a few others.

The first club to go on stage was a Christian choir and Blaine was a little confused because he didn't understand why they were participating in a show choir competition.

He felt Kurt's hand in his tighten when the Warblers started piling on stage and Blaine was thankful to have Kurt next to him. To his surprise, Jeff took lead on an upbeat version of 'Uptown Girl', which they already had started rehearsing when Blaine was still at Dalton, but with Sebastian on lead.

Two of the new guys took over for the songs Blaine and Sebastian had been supposed to sing, but Sebastian was nowhere in sight. His first thought was that Sebastian was sick, but the songs sounded too well rehearsed to be a last minute changes.

"Where's Sebastian?" Kurt whispered into his ear and Blaine shrugged.

It was all very strange but he had to wait for some answers until after their own performance was over.

They had kept their outfits simple, curtsey of Kurt and Tina, with the girls wearing black dresses with red trim and the guys wearing black suits with red ties.

Mercedes sounded amazing in his opinion as he and Kurt watched her belt out the song from the wings, and once Rachel and Harmony took over, they both could barely contain their laughter as they watched the girls' antics.

Finally it was time for their group number and Blaine took Kurt's hand on one side and Rachel's on the other. They sang their hearts out as they performed the song they had been rehearsing for weeks and were awarded with a standing ovation from the audience as Santana held the last note.

As soon as they were off stage, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and dragged him behind him as he was looking for either Trent or Jeff. They finally found the two off them goofing off in one of the biology classrooms and Blaine quickly shut the door once he and Kurt were inside.

"What happened to Sebastian?" he got straight to the point because they didn't have much time until the winners would be announced.

"Hello Blaine, Kurt. Nice to see you too, great performance," Trent said sarcastically and Blaine could see Kurt rolling his eyes next to him.

"Sorry, you were great as well. Now can you tell me –" "-about Sebastian," Jeff finished his sentence. "You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Kurt piped up next to him, before sitting down on the teacher's desk.

"After we heard you got expelled even after explaining Sebastian's behavior toward you, we voted and he got kicked out of the Warblers," Trent explained.

So that explained why the other boy hadn't been at Sectionals.

"And he just accepted that?" Kurt asked incredulously. "He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who accepts a no."

Jeff smiled mischievously. "He sent daddy to talk to us, but let's just say that was a bad idea, because we told his dad all about Sebastian's deplorable behavior and how it was casting a negative light on Dalton and its students."

Blaine raised an eyebrow at that but apparently that wasn't the end of the story.

"Apparently, that wasn't the first time, Sebastian had caused trouble at a boarding school and his dad was getting fed up with it, because he's up for reelection and doesn't want his son to cause a scandal. So he decided to send him to public school as a punishment," Trent continued.

At Kurt's raised eyebrow he amended, "Not that there's anything wrong with public school but you know Sebastian's opinion on that."

Blaine was glad to hear that he had gotten a little justice after all, even if that didn't mean he could return to Dalton, because he was sure that if that had been an option the headmaster would have informed him as soon as Sebastian was gone.

"Where does he go now?" Kurt suddenly asked next to him. It was a good question because if he took into account that he had met Sebastian at a Lima gay bar, chances were he lived somewhere close.

"West Lima High," Trent told them, and Kurt gasped. "That's where Chandler is going."

* * *

 

Blaine didn't really want to meet Chandler, but he had to admit he was curious to find out how Sebastian was faring in public school as well, so he agreed to join Kurt and Chandler for coffee at the Lima Bean early the next morning.

A guy wearing hipster glasses and an even stranger outfit than Kurt wore most days was already waiting for them as they walked into the coffee shop and excitedly waved them over once he spotted Kurt. Blaine immediately recognized him from the pictures he had seen and told himself repeatedly to be nice, because for one the guy had backed off as soon as he found out Kurt had a boyfriend, and two, was seeing someone as well according to Kurt.

Once they were seated, Kurt immediately asked the question they were both burning to ask. "I heard you got a new student, Sebastian. How is he doing?"

Chandler furrowed his brow. "Don't get me started on him. He is horrible and tells everyone he comes across he is too good for this school. I was excited at first when I heard he was gay too, because there aren't many out kids at school, but one conversation was enough for the rest of the year."

Yep, that sounded like Sebastian and he was glad to hear others thought he was an ass as well.

"How are the students treating him?" Blaine asked curiously. He didn't want Sebastian to get bullied for being gay, but he wouldn't mind it if he were shown his place.

"He pisses people off constantly and he kept insulting the football team to their faces until they dumped like five slushies on him." Next to him Kurt looked pleased and that told him how much his boyfriend hated Sebastian because when he had explained to Blaine what slushies are, he had said he didn't even wish them on his worst enemies.

"He's also getting detention a lot," Chandler continued, "because he keeps asking the teachers where they bought their degrees and doesn't listen to what they are saying."

All this was music for Blaine's ears and he and Kurt enjoyed listening to more stories about Sebastian in public school a little longer before Kurt decided it was time to go home so they could finally celebrate their tie with the Warblers at Sectionals.

Carole and Burt were out for the night, doing some last minute campaigning and Finn had plans to spend the night at Puck's for a COD marathon.

Before he and Kurt left he surprised himself by saying to Chandler, "why don't you and your boyfriend come out with Kurt and I some time."

He was really glad he had offered when he saw the look on Kurt's face. He would definitely get lucky tonight.

* * *

They had barely managed to get inside the house when Kurt immediately pressed Blaine against the front door, shutting it by pressing his body against Blaine's.

He licked Blaine's lower lip until his boyfriend opened his mouth and their tongues danced in a passionate kiss. Getting off both their coats was difficult with their mouths connected, but Kurt was unwilling to break the kiss until they absolutely had to break apart for air.

Blaine's cardigan came off on the first step and before Kurt could start on his own vest, Blaine pressed him against the wall and nearly ripped of the offending clothing to gain access to Kurt's neck.

Usually Kurt didn't allow Blaine to leave hickeys because he didn't want to wear a scarf with every outfit, but today after hearing about Sebastian and moving on to Regionals, Kurt couldn't be bothered at all, even going as far as tilting his head to the side to allow Blaine more room.

It took them the longest time to make it up to Kurt's bedroom because they kept pressing each other against the wall on the staircase while they tried to remove more layers of clothing at the same time.

Kurt was glad to no one would be home until the next day because they trail of clothing they were leaving behind would have been pretty incriminating.

By the time they finally reached Kurt's room, the were both in their underwear and undershirts and Kurt wasted no time walking Blaine backward to the bed until his boyfriend's knees hit the edge and he fell backward, taking Kurt with him.

Kurt straddled his boyfriend's hips intent on returning the hickey favor before yanking Blaine's shirt over his head and trailing kisses all over Blaine's naked torso.

Before he knew it, Blaine had flipped their positions and took Kurt's own shirt off as well, leaving little marks all over Kurt's body. It was a good thing no one was home because they both weren't exactly quiet but it had been a while since they had that luxury and Kurt was intent to make his boyfriend scream his name.

Unfortunately it wasn't Blaine who ultimately screamed his name. They were in the throws of passion, barely conscious about their surroundings, when an object hit the floor with a bang.

Kurt screamed and hurried to cover his and Blaine's naked bodies with the sheets he had pushed out of the way to preserve his modesty, but judging by the look on Finn's face it was already too late.

Blaine looked mortified as well and for a moment Kurt remembered the day when they had first met Finn and he had called them gross just because they had shared a bed fully clothed.

It was a testament to Finn's growth that his brother only clapped his hands over his eyes and tried to stumble out of the room completely blind.

As soon as Finn was out of sight, Kurt jumped up to close the door and nearly stumbled over the objects that had landed on the floor – Finn's backpack and his and Blaine's clothes from the stairs.

"Kill me now," Blaine muttered. "That's even worse than when he overheard us in Grand Haven."

Kurt locked the door and turned around to face his boyfriend who had buried his face into a pillow.

"You think? At least you don't have to live with him." Kurt yanked his bathrobe from the hook on his door and Blaine pouted when he put it on.

"No," he whined. "Come back to bed." Kurt raised an eyebrow at Blaine. He was definitely not in the mood anymore, but apparently that wasn't the case with Blaine.

"I'm going to go downstairs to do some damage control" he announce instead of commenting on Blaine's requested, picking up Finn's backpack before he left the room.

Finn was in the downstairs bathroom furious scrubbing his eyes when Kurt knocked on the open door.

"I'm sorry about that, but I thought you wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning," he apologized awkwardly.

"Forgot a game," Finn mumbled, keeping his eyes on his hands in front of him.

"Like I said, sorry. But you didn't have to come into my room." This had been the most mortifying thing since his dad had caught him and Blaine making out in the backseat of his car.

"Your door was open," Finn argued. "I thought open door meant nothing was going on."

Kurt rolled his eyes because Finn could be so oblivious some times.

"And the trail of clothes on the stairs didn't give you a clue?" he asked sarcastically even though he was blushing while he said it.

Finn just shrugged still avoiding Kurt's eyes and Kurt thought it might be better to give his brother some space to process what had happened.

Kurt waited in the kitchen until he heard the front door open and close again and only then did he return to his bedroom where he promptly shut and locked his door.

Blaine was still lying on his bed, barely covered by the sheet and Kurt swallowed hard as his eyes roved over his boyfriend's gorgeous body.

"I think we still have a thing or two to celebrate," Blaine whispered seductively and Kurt decided to screw it and joined Blaine on the bed once he dropped the robe.

He might never be able to look Finn in the eye again, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to celebrate Sebastian's demise in the one way Sebastian would never have Blaine.

* * *

 

Finn wanted the earth to swallow him whole when he saw which song they would be rehearsing the day after he had accidentally walked in on his brother and boyfriend. It just had to be ‘La Vie Boheme’, and it was especially bad because Ms. Corcoran hadn't changed the lyrics after she made the students get permission slips signed.

He knew he turned beet red as soon as his brother started singing about masturbation, but he didn't even want to see the color of his face when they reached the point were everyone was dancing wildly on a table while Finn as Benny observed.

_KURT, RYDER, TINA_

_Bisexuals, trisexuals, Homo Sapiens,_

_Carcinogens, hallucinogens, men,_

_Pee Wee Herman_

_German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein_

_Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa_

_Carmina Burana_

_ALL_

_To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy_

_Vaclav Havel- The Sex Pistols, 8BC_

_To no shame- Never playing the fame game_

_SAM_

_To marijuana_

_ALL_

_To sodomy_

_It's between God and me_

_To S & M_

_FINN_

_Waiter...Waiter...Waiter_

Finn was glad when they finally reached the part where his character interrupted what was going on in the life café, because by now even Ms. Corcoran had realized how uncomfortable he looked.

"Do you need a break Finn? You don't look so good," she asked and Finn's eyes quickly flashed to Kurt and Blaine who were standing closely together. Blaine paled when he caught Finn staring, but Kurt just glared at him, so Finn decided to take Ms. Corcoran up on her offer and left the auditorium to get some water.

When he got back, he saw Blaine, Kurt, Santana and Brittany standing close together.

"So let me get this right. Frankenteen is all jumpy today because he walked in on you getting it on?" Santana asked and the boys nodded.

"Are you going to have dolphin babies now?" Brittany piped up next to Santana and Finn nearly joked on his water. Was that a possibility after all?

"I'm just disappointed he's acting this way because I thought we moved behind that," Kurt admitted, and Finn felt a bit guilty because he had been avoiding Kurt the moment he had come home, faking a headache when Kurt told him dinner was ready.

"It's not like that," he interrupted their hushed conversation. "You caught me off guard and I didn't really understand what was happening at first, but I don't think you are wrong or anything like that. I mean how would you feel if you walked in on me and a girl?" Not there was anything to walk in on yet, but he had promised Sarah to give her as much time as she needed.

"Ew," Kurt immediately exclaimed. "I get it. Let us just forget about this and never speak of it again." Finn quickly agreed to that and rehearsal ran more smoothly once the changed to another song.

True to his promise, Finn kept his mouth shut when their parents came back from Cincinnati and wanted to know if anything exciting had happened while they were gone.

Finn's voice had resembled Kurt's when he squeaked out, "nothing at all," but if they found his behavior strange, they luckily didn't investigate further. And this way, Kurt owed him another favor, which might just compensate for the fact that his eyes would be forever scarred.

* * *

 

"And we are live at the Lima community center, where candidate Burt Hummel together with family, friends and supporters is awaiting the results of the Ohio Senate race. Voting ended two hours ago and our latest projections show that it is going to be a close race between independent candidate Hummel and republican Richard Nelson. Candidate Sue Sylvester, going strong before Hummel joined the race, is not expected to reach double digits in tonight's election," a reporter of the local news station presented another update on the TV that was being watched inside the campaign headquarters.

Burt Hummel and his family were sitting closely together on a few couches in the corner, but one had to be close by to overhear what they were talking about.

From time to time, supporters came up to the small group to congratulate Burt Hummel, even though there wasn't a decision yet, and the candidate shook hands with each and everyone of them, proving how much the support meant to him.

With the family was another boy, one that the press had identified as the son's boyfriend and it was a joy to watch with what ease he seemed to fit in with the family. A few people were staring at the boys who hadn't released each other's hands since they had arrived at the Community Center, but so far no one had made an offensive comment about Burt Hummel's son.

On the other side of town, the atmosphere was a bit different with candidate Nelson riling up his supporters by promising to carry on his mission even if he didn't get elected. His supporters seemed sure however that their candidate would be able to beat Homo Hummel as they called him on posters.

In her office at William McKinley High School Sue Sylvester was glaring at the television screen, cursing Porcelain's father – a nickname of sorts for Mr. Hummel's son – because he took away something she thought belonged to her. In a fit of range, she and a group of cheerleader put toilet paper all over the school's choir room, but when the principal investigated Monday morning, no culprit was found and it was called a students' prank.

At exactly ten pm on November 8, 2011, the phone rang at Burt Hummel's headquarters and his supporters fell silent while his family gripped one another's hands in anticipation.

Suddenly the phone dropped onto the floor and a wide grin spread over Burt Hummel's face. The crowd erupted in cheers.

 

* * *

 

As soon as school let out Friday afternoon, Kurt and Blaine raced back to Kurt's house to load his remaining bags into his Navigator. The had already put in Blaine's bags the previous day, but Kurt hadn't managed to finalize his packing until the last moment.

Kurt was beyond excited to get back to New York, even though the purpose of this trip was primarily to check out colleges. Still they would have a lot more time to explore the city than they had had during Nationals and Kurt was hoping they could get affordable tickets to a least a show or two.

They would be driving all the way to New York because plane tickets were expensive around the holidays and Kurt would rather spend the money they saved for shopping. It was just too bad they wouldn't be in the city for black Friday because of Thanksgiving dinner. Because Carole was worried about them, they had however agreed to spend the night some place in Pennsylvania instead of driving straight through the night.

The stop turned out to be a good idea though, because after spending all day in school and another musical rehearsal before the holidays, they were both tired and by the time they reached a motel they were ready to drop.

Kurt told Blaine to wait by the car while he got a room for them because he didn't have the energy to deal with a possibly homophobic jerk, but as soon as he had gotten the keys they went inside their room, and Kurt fell asleep as soon as he had removed his shoes, some time around two o'clock.

Blaine was still snoring lightly next to him when Kurt woke up the next morning and shot his boyfriend a grateful smile when he saw that his vest and shirt were neatly hung over a chair. Blaine must have even managed to get him into a pajama top without him waking up, he realized when he looked down on him.

He did an extended version of his moisturizing routing to make up for not doing it the previous night, and when Blaine was still asleep after he was done, Kurt went out to find a coffee shop to get some coffee and breakfast for them.

Blaine was up when Kurt returned, already repacking their things and his face lit up when he saw the cup of coffee in Kurt's hand.

"I love you," Blaine mumbled before bounding over and taking the cup that said ‘Blaine’. "I hope you meant me and not the coffee," Kurt joked, because usually he was the one making declarations of love to coffee first thing in the morning.

"Thanks for getting me out of my clothes last night, by the way," Kurt remarked and then turned a nice shade of pink as Blaine waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Always a pleasure."

Kurt grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at Blaine as soon as his boyfriend had put down his coffee and before they knew it they started a pillow fight that segued into a tickle fight, which ended with Kurt pinning Blaine to the mattress, holding his hands above his head. They were both panting but just as Kurt wanted to lean in and take advantage of their position his alarm went off and Kurt groaned.

"Stupid phone," Blaine mumbled underneath him, and Kurt gave him a quick kiss before rolling off him and hurrying into the bathroom.

"We need to check out in half an hour, so if we want to leave on time, you probably have to join me in the shower," he called over his shoulder.

Kurt heard a bang behind him as he turned on the water and smirked because sure enough two seconds later, Blaine was behind him, eagerly taking off his clothes.

* * *

 

Meanwhile outside of Columbus…

To celebrate Burt's win, Carole had convinced her husband to go away with her for a few days during the boys' thanksgiving break. Kurt and Blaine had plans of their own and after a lot of convincing from Kurt they had decided that Finn really was old enough to be left home alone. After all, he hadn't burnt down the house when he was on his own in Austin.

She had found a cute little B&B just outside of Columbus, were they could relax for a bit after the stressful weeks they had had. And then there was something she really needed to talk to Burt about, because she'd been postponing it for months.

After months of avoiding it she had finally consulted a doctor and Tala was right, it was time to tell her husband about the results.

Before she did that however, they spent a few days in blissful ignorance, enjoying each other's company away from their kids.

It was on the last night, before they had to head back to Lima for Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, that Carole asked Burt to join her for a walk. It had started snowing lightly and they were both bundled up in their coats to evade the cold.

"You gonna tell me what's on your mind?" Burt asked after they'd walked in silence for a while. Carole looked at her husband in surprise.

"I know you, Carole and something is bothering you. I've noticed the way you keep staring at me."

Carole didn't know what to say to that, because she didn't think she had been that obvious. It was nice to know though that Burt knew her so well.

"I went to see Dr. Marcus a few weeks back, because I'm still not pregnant," she explained. Burt immediately stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"Carole, I told you it didn't matter and to stop worrying. If it's supposed to happen, it's going to happen."

"But what if it won't happen at all?" Now that they had agreed to have another child she really wanted one.

"Did Dr. Marcus say anything was wrong?" Burt asked and Carole shook her head. "I'm not sick or anything but she still recommended hormone treatment because if I haven't managed to conceive yet, it's very likely we won't in the near future."

"I'm sorry." Burt pulled her into a tight embrace and Carole finally managed to relax again. "And I love you. I've told you before but I think you need to hear it again. It doesn't matter if we have another baby or not; I love you just as much without one."

They held each other for what seemed like forever, but when Burt finally let go, Carole felt better than she had in months. She had started to believe she was a failure because she couldn't do the simplest thing – get pregnant – but now she was reminded how wrong she was.

She had already been blessed with her wonderful boys and she was grateful for what she had. If another baby wasn't in the cards for her, so be it. She would just have to make sure her sons knew they were loved very much, so they would come back all the time even after they moved out.

* * *

 

They barely managed to check out on time, but Blaine wouldn't have cared less if they had been late because sharing a shower with his hot boyfriend was totally worth getting into trouble over.

The rest of the drive was uneventful and they passed through New Jersey early in the afternoon. Blaine had booked a room for them in a small hotel in Chelsea, close to a number of colleges (for him) and clothing stores (for Kurt).

They ditched Kurt's car in an overprized parking garage but that seemed the best option because neither of them was willing to be constantly on the look out for a parking space. Blaine knew that Kurt had plans to sell his car before they moved to New York for good and he fully supported that decision because driving in Manhattan was hell and the subway was a lot more convenient even though there were a lot of weird people on it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the neighborhood, finding a coffee shop and scoping out the restaurants in the area. Blaine couldn't wait to come back the following year so he and Kurt could do all that for real. He just needed to get into school here first.

They only had four days before they had to drive back for Thanksgiving dinner and Blaine had plans to get as much college information as he could during that time. Additionally he also had to make sure everything worked out with Kurt's surprise because after some rough months they deserved all the happiness they could get.

* * *

 

Kurt was in heaven. He had managed to score two tickets for Wicked, Avenue Q and the Book of Mormon, so they would be busy every night apart from their last because Blaine had told him not to make plans for that.

Much of Saturday and Sunday was spent acting all touristy with Kurt following Blaine around because he had visited the city a lot when he was younger. Sunday afternoon they went ice skating in Central Park, before using Blaine's fake ID – that he luckily had never tossed – to buy a cheap bottle of red wine which they drank while watching 'Breakfast a Tiffany's' on Kurt's laptop in their hotel room.

Monday morning, they first took a trip to Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music before catching a train uptown to Columbia, where Blaine had arranged a meeting with someone from admissions.

Kurt had to admit that he liked the campus even though he would never want to study there himself, but in his opinion Blaine would fit in very well. While he waited for Blaine to come back out, it started snowing lightly and Kurt really wished he would be invited to auditions in January so he could see the city covered in snow.

Blaine had a smile on his face when he joined him a little later, a stack of pamphlets under his arm.

"Good talk?" Kurt asked as Blaine took his gloved hand into his and together the walked back to the nearest subway station.

Blaine nodded enthusiastically. "If everything works out, my trust fund is going to pay for college and I still get to major in music. They told me I have to put down Barnard College of Music on my application and should I get accepted, there is a joint degree program with Julliard. Wouldn't it be great if you were at Julliard and I at Columbia and we would still have classes together," Blaine enthused.

Kurt could see it in his mind. After class they would get some coffee, go grocery shopping and cook dinner in their apartment where their kitten McQueen would already be waiting for them. He wanted that future for them and some way he was going to make it happen.

* * *

The Broadway shows were fantastic but Blaine had to admit that he liked 'Avenue Q' best – not in front of Kurt of course. It was just too bad that he had missed Daniel Radcliffe in 'How to succeed' because as a huge Harry Potter fan that would have been a dream come true.

Tuesday was their last full day in New York because they had to drive back Wednesday afternoon. In the morning Blaine took Kurt to Tiffany's and they shared some coffee and bagels in front of it for their own version of breakfast at Tiffany's.

The rest of the day was spent running up and down fifth avenue with a short lunch break in Central Park because Blaine insisted Kurt had to at least try a hot dog sold from a street vendor, but as the day drew to a close Blaine was getting nervous. He was just not good at grand romantic gestures and hoped Kurt would at least not hate it or thought it was stupid.

While Kurt was in the bathroom he quickly got dressed and left a note for Kurt telling him to meet him at Columbus Circle in an hour and then quickly left their hotel to pick up a bouquet of roses before heading to Central Park.

Once everything was arranged he grabbed coffee at a corner store and then just waited. Kurt stepped out of a cab forty-five minutes later, looking fabulous in the new coat he had bought this morning.

Blaine went over to him and when they were merely a few steps apart he pulled the bouquet of red roses from behind his back and presented them to Kurt.

"They are beautiful, Blaine," his boyfriend gushed and drew him in for a kiss that left him breathless. Luckily no one around them seemed to care about the two boys kissing in public and Blaine focused his attention back on Kurt.

"Not as beautiful as you," Blaine answered and immediately cringed because he couldn't come up with something less cliché, could he?

Kurt just gave him a dopey smile though and Blaine took his hand and led him over to where a horse carriage was waiting for them.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked, a puzzled look on his face. Blaine motioned for the driver to open the door for them and Blaine helped Kurt inside.

"I know how much you love Disney and so I thought I gave you a ride in a horse-drawn carriage as long as you don't leave me at midnight," Blaine whispered as he and Kurt cuddled up to each other under the blankets provided for them.

Kurt still had a questioning look in his eyes, but Blaine told him he'd explain later because right now they should enjoy their ride through Central Park on the freshly fallen snow.

They were quiet for most of the ride, basking in each other's presence and trading the occasional kiss while the carriage glided through he park as if straight out of a fairytale.

"Can I ask now?" Kurt whispered when they neared the south end of the park again. Blaine nodded and turned so he was facing Kurt.

"I just wanted to remind you that I love you very much and that I can't wait to start the rest of my life with you. I know I'm a few days early, but I had to do something while we were here. Happy two-year anniversary, Kurt. Hopefully just the first of many we'll be celebrating in New York."

Kurt's eyes widened and it finally seemed to dawn on him what he'd been missing. "I swear I didn't forget, but I didn't know we'd be doing something before our anniversary. I do have something for you, but it's in Lima, and it isn't wrapped yet because I thought I had some more time. But I love what you did for me, best surprise ever by the way, I love you so much," Kurt rambled on and the only way Blaine could silence him was by cutting him off with a kiss, Kurt soon relaxed into.

"Hey, having you here with me is enough. We've had a rough year and more than once I thought I would lose you. So the best present for me is still having you with me. That's all I need."

Blaine knew there were tears in his eyes but it didn't matter. They had made it through separations and fights and had come out stronger. That was all that matter and he would continue to do his best to make Kurt happy. Because Kurt was the love of his life. He was sure of that.

He must have said that last part out loud because Kurt suddenly clashed their lips together in a passion filled kiss, only breaking apart when there was a knock on the carriage door because the ride was over.

"You're the love of my life too," Kurt whispered as Blaine helped him get out of the carriage. Blaine knew the must have been quiet the sight because they both had tears streaming down their faces while they were smiling like crazy.

The good thing about New York? No one called them out on it. Because their Ohio crazy probably didn't even register on New York's radar.

* * *

 

Finn was beyond grateful that Kurt had intervened on his behalf and he had been allowed to spend Thanksgiving break alone at home. Well not completely alone, because Sarah's parents conveniently had to travel to a conference that same week and Finn had to admit he had liked playing house quite a bit.

Unfortunately he wasn't good at cleaning up the evidence that suggested he hadn’t been the sole inhabitant of the house while his parents were gone – it was Sarah's fault for forgetting her stuff though – and now Finn owed Kurt big time for covering for him and telling his parents he had a girl's sleepover as soon as he and Blaine came back from New York.

His mom and Burt were thankfully still in that weird honeymoon bubble and just smiled benevolently at them, and Finn wasn't even sure if they would have cared if they had found out the truth.

Later that morning, when his mom was out to get more cranberries, Finn went into the kitchen to offer up his help, but was quickly told he was allowed to stay as long as he didn't touch anything.

"So, I guess Sarah stayed here while we were gone," Kurt remarked as soon as the parents were gone, aiming for nonchalantly but failing. Finn was sure he was blushing something he didn't do often.

"Her parents were gone longer than we thought, so yeah I invited her to stay." Finn picked up some wooden spoons and started playing with them on the kitchen counter. He wanted to talk to Kurt about this but he didn't know how to start, because in the past those conversations hadn't gone too well and it was even more embarrassing now because he had walked in on Blaine and Kurt.

"Spit it out Finn, and drop the spoons. You're getting on my nerves," Kurt glared at him and Finn immediately dropped the utensils because yeah, angry Kurt was scary Kurt.

"Sarah and I had sex," he blurted out, because there was no better way to say it. Kurt raised an eyebrow and Finn hoped that was an invitation to continue.

"You were right, talking about what we both wanted totally helped and so she let me do it with her." His brother rolled his eyes and turned back to the turkey he was stuffing at the moment.

"Congrats Finn. Hope you didn't get her pregnant and no, I definitely do not want to hear the details. That's what Puck's for." Kurt sounded cool and aloof but there was a small smile on his face, like always when they had a bro conversation.

The thing was, he didn't want to talk to Puck about it, because Puck would only make crude jokes and probably tease him for still having been a virgin.

"That's cool du … Kurt. I'd rather talk to you." This time the smile couldn't be missed.

"Fine. Talk to me, but spare me the details," Kurt agreed after putting the turkey in the oven, and not for the first time Finn thanked Grilled Jesus for giving him a brother.

* * *

 

This year’s Thanksgiving was a lot different than last year's had been. For one, they had more people crammed around their dinning room table as Tala, Blaine, Santana and Brittany as well as the Berrys and Rachel's boyfriend Jesse had accepted the invitation. Carole's mother was with them again and Burt made sure to keep her away from Carole who looked murderous when she caught her mom sneak into the backyard with the group of teenagers.

Last Christmas it had felt like something was missing, with his parents not being present, but he didn't feel that way this year. Actually, he had been relieved, when his father had called and told him he wouldn't even come if Burt begged him to, not after that horrendous campaign, were Burt sided with the sinners.

He was surrounded with people who cared for each other and accepted one another regardless of race, sexuality or gender and like he had said in his campaign speech – family is more than a blood connection. In their case water was definitely thicker than blood.

When Carole finally deemed dinner ready, everyone sat down at the long table they had built out of two dinning room tables and Burt took Carole's hand when he caught her staring at the giggling teens next to her mom.

"I know we didn't get to do this last year, because, let's just call it how it is, last Thanksgiving sucked and ended in fights and tears. This time is different though, and I'd like everyone to say what they are thankful for. If it's all right with you I start."

When nobody protested, Burt sat down again and spoke up. "I'm thankful for my family who has supported me through so much these past couple of months and dealt with crazy reporters or even crazier classmates. And I'm beyond thankful that my son has given me second chance to be part of his life."

Burt cleared his throat, tearing up a bit. It didn't matter how many times he had screwed up, Kurt was still here and it gave him the motivation to keep trying.

Next to him his wife squeezed his hand before she spoke next.

"I'm thankful for my family as well. I've gained so much these past two years and I'm thankful for that."

The Berry's were next, repeating Carole's sentiments about family and Tala added a bit about being thankful she finally got divorced. Carole's mom thanked Carole for the chocolate cake she couldn't wait to taste and than it was Finn's turn.

"I'm thankful that Kurt's my bro now because he's pretty cool. And Blaine as well. He's kinda like my bro too. I'm thankful for being back on the football team and my awesome girlfriend." Burt saw Kurt turn a little pink when Finn said that but that was something he could investigate later.

"I'm thankful for the Hummel-Hudsons for taking me in last year and helping me get my mother back. And Kurt, the most important person in my life," Blaine continued.

Whenever he caught the two boys looking at each other the way they were now, Burt hoped they would make it somehow, because there was heartbreak he didn't want his son to experience.

Kurt was the last one to go and Burt hoped Kurt would go easy on him, even if he didn't deserve it all the time.

"I'm thankful to have a father who's trying. Trying to understand me better, trying to make my life easier even though his attempts are often misguided. A father who learned to accept me instead of removing me from his presence. I'm thankful I got a chance to find a new kind of family."

While Burt had managed to keep the tears at bay before, there was no stopping them now and he stood up and pulled his son into a hug forgetting about all the other people in the room who were probably staring at them.

It didn't matter. After all it wouldn't be a Hudson-Hummel holiday if no one ended up in tears.


	7. December

The first week of December things started to get a little crazy in their household as the boys were getting ready for the opening night of their musical. At first, Burt had tried to offer his help, but after being shot down repeatedly and asked to just keep out of the way, he decided his time would be better spent in the garage, looking for a new employee who could help out as soon as Burt's job in Columbus started in January.

His wife was busy as well, prepping for her finals as well as getting the house ready for Christmas. Burt didn't understand why they had to start putting on lights this early, but he knew better than to disagree with his stressed out wife.

Finally it was opening night, and after picking up flowers for the kids, Burt and Carole went inside the auditorium and sat down next to LeRoy, Hiram and Tala who were all very excited to see the show. No one more than Hiram, who told Burt he did musical theater when he was in college.

Burt didn't know much about the show other than that it was based on some opera and the music wouldn't be just show tunes.

When the curtain went up and the show started Burt couldn't help but jump up and yell 'that's my boy' when Kurt came on stage for the first time. Carole rolled her eyes, but gave him a fond smile when he did the same for Finn.

He had to admit he was quite enjoying the show as it went on although he had to admit to himself that the topic made him a bit uncomfortable. He just prayed to whoever was out there, that he never had to go through something like that with Kurt.

He was pulled out of his revelry when Kurt suddenly jumped on top of the table and started singing something about bohemians and as the song wore on, he sank deeper into his chair. He was surprised the school let the kids sing lyrics like that.

"Aren't you glad you told everyone who your boys are," Carole teased as she observed his posture. Burt glared at her for a moment, but than his expression softened. "Yeah, I am."

During intermission, their small group went to get some refreshments and met up with Sarah and Mercedes' parents, though Burt quickly excused himself to the restroom, after he finished a beer in record time.

When he came back, Carole was talking to Hiram, and Burt could tell that whatever they were talking about, wasn't a pleasant topic.

"What did I miss?" he asked as he joined them. Hiram apparently took that as his cue to leave and once he was gone, Carole turned to face him.

"Just telling me about his life in New York in the eighties." She didn't have to elaborate. "I worry about that with Kurt," he admitted.

Carole gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know, but things are different now. There's treatment. And Kurt and Blaine are good kids who know to be careful," Carole tried to calm him. "And you know, about half of the people living with HIV today are straight. So I really wouldn't worry too much about Kurt."

Burt hadn't known that because growing up everyone had told him that Aids was the gay disease and to stay away from them unless you wanted to catch it. By now he knew though not to believe everything he was told when he was younger, because a lot of those things had been wrong or plain lies.

The second act brought him to tears nevertheless as a kid he didn't know died on stage, and he was glad Kurt had auditioned for another role, because that wasn't something he never wanted to witness.

Once the show was over they all rushed backstage to hand out flowers, congratulating Kurt's teacher on a great production even Burt had enjoyed even though he usually wasn't a fan of musical theater.

To celebrate their kids, the grown-ups had reserved a table at Breadstix where they all stayed till they were kicked out, the parents pointedly ignoring that the kids had snuck some booze in. They deserved to have a little party after all and most of them were legally adults already.

"You were great," Burt told his son on their way back home. Kurt's face immediately lit up. "You really think so? Good enough to get into Julliard?"

"I don't know what that is, but they would be fools if they didn't take you," he assured his son because Kurt really was as talented as his former wife had always said.

"Just make sure to save me a seat for your first Broadway show," Burt told Kurt, proud that he at least remembered the name of that New York theater thing.

The smile Kurt gave him in return, was better than any presents he had ever gotten.

* * *

 

The closer finals got the more stressed Blaine became because he knew he had to ace them all if he wanted to get into Columbia. Compared to Dalton, McKinley was easy, but he was having a hard time concentrating when his whole future would be decided by a few tests. He was just glad he had taken his SATs before he had found out about his trust fund, because apparently he wasn't doing so well under pressure, at least academically.

Kurt kept telling him that was bullshit because he freaked out every time test season came around and he always passed with flying colors, but Blaine was convinced this time would be different. This time he would screw up if he didn't spent his every waking moment preparing for exams. Luckily, and he couldn't believe he was saying this, he only had three more performances left before he could fully concentrate on school.

He was in the middle of writing an essay for his AP English class when his phone rang, a number he didn't recognize showing up on the display. Nevertheless, Blaine picked up, because it could be about something important.

The line however stayed quiet, even though Blaine could hear someone breathing on the other end. He didn't know what to make of it, but before he could demand to be told who was calling him the other person hung up the phone. Blaine shook his head, and dropped his phone on the bed next to him after silencing it. He couldn't worry about that weird call right now – he still had tons of stuff to do.

However, the calls kept happening the next day and it always seemed as if the person on the other end was about to say something before stopping him- or herself. It was getting creepy, having to listen to another person breathing on the phone, and Blaine was quickly getting fed up with it.

He hadn't planned to tell Kurt about the phone calls because he wasn't sure what to make of them either, but of course Kurt found out anyway, which was Blaine's fault though.

They both were lounging on Kurt's bed, trying to finish the last of their homework before finals week when Blaine's phone rang close to Kurt and Blaine asked his boyfriend to answer for him.

Blaine only looked up when he noticed that Kurt was quietly listening before he frowned. "Who's this?" he demanded. Blaine had done so too but had never gotten an answer. So he was surprised when the mystery caller seemed to answer Kurt.

"I know I'm not Blaine," Kurt suddenly shot at the caller. "But if you want to talk to him, you'll have to tell me who you are." Blaine scooted closer hoping to overhear what they were talking about, but Kurt handed back the phone before he could catch something.

"He hung up," Kurt informed him, still looking a bit confused. "That was weird," he added and Blaine decided it would be better to tell Kurt about the phone calls he'd been getting the past few days.

"You don't think it's Sebastian's newest way to get on your nerves," Kurt wondered out loud a few minutes later, as Blaine was struggling to find x. He looked up in surprise, because he honestly hadn't even though about it. He hadn't heard from the other boy since his exile to public school and had hoped they were done for good. Chandler told them about him from time to time but that was it. If it were really Sebastian who kept calling, Blaine would have some choice words for him if he called again. He was done with being polite.

No one called the rest of the day however, and Blaine was starting to think Kurt had scared him off. The next afternoon however, the phone rang again.

"Blaine, I…" a voice that sounded vaguely familiar started but Blaine had had enough so he interrupted before the caller (Sebastian?) could say anything else.

"Listen you jerk. I don't want you to call me any more. Haven't you done enough damage in the past? Why can't you leave me the hell alone? So don't call, don't Skype and don't Facebook me or I'm going to send Burt after you. I've heard you met him briefly," Blaine yelled before hanging up the phone and promptly blocking the number.

When he looked up, Kurt was standing in the doorway looking concerned. "Sebastian again?" he asked and Blaine nodded. "I blocked the number though, so hopefully that was the last we've heard from him."

Kurt came over to join him on the bed and Blaine moved a few pieces of paper out of the way to give Kurt space to sit down. "What are you doing here?" he asked once Kurt was seated. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but didn't you say you were busy this afternoon."

Blaine sighed contently when Kurt pulled him closer and he could feel Kurt nod against his chest. "Coach Sylvester has asked me to enlist the Glee club to help out at the homeless shelter for Christmas and I wanted to see if your mom wanted to help as well," Kurt explained and Blaine realized with a start that he really must have been out of it if he had missed that announcement in Glee.

"Right, I knew that," he told Kurt who smirked and shook his head. "No you didn't, but that's why I'm here. To make sure you remember to eat and other important things."

Blaine couldn't refrain from leaning in and kissing Kurt out of gratitude because he had the best boyfriend ever.

"I still have to talk to a few other people this afternoon, so can you ask your mom if she's willing to help out as well?" Kurt asked once they separated for air, and Blaine nodded, pouting slightly because he wanted to continue kissing Kurt.

He couldn't wait for the semester to be over and break to start

* * *

 

Kurt hadn't been lying when he had told Blaine he couldn't spend more time with him because he had to get people to help out at the shelter, but he had talked to most people on his list before he went by Blaine's. He couldn't tell Blaine the real reason why he didn't have time for him though, because that would have ruined the surprise.

The house was empty when he got back, and Kurt quickly emptied his purchases onto the kitchen table. He put the glue on one side and ten packs of Wrigley's juicy fruits on the other before he started to unwrap the chewing gum.

He was in the middle of separating the paper from the gum when Carole came in, a puzzled look on her face when she spotted his project.

"What's that?" she asked as his stepmom sat down opposite him. She looked sad, Kurt noticed and he knew she'd been for a while. He just didn't know how to help her or why she looked so sad.

"Blaine's Christmas present," he explained, gluing another piece of paper together to finish the tiny paper bowtie. "It's a promise ring," he added when Carole still looked confused.

"That's sweet honey," she told him, but even though she smiled her eyes told a different story and Kurt just had to ask.

"Are you feeling okay? You can talk to me, you know." Carole looked like she was about to deny anything was wrong, but than she sank further into her chair, before she started to speak.

"I think I'm just sad because this will be our last Christmas with all of us together. Who knows if you're coming back next year, and before you know it you might have a family of your own and will want to celebrate with them. I thought by next year I'd have a baby and that would make it easier, but that's not happening either."

Kurt scooted closer and put his hand on Carole's, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He hadn't known that his parents had trouble getting pregnant, because he and Finn had just assumed they had decided not to have on right now, because of the campaign and stuff like that. But if Carole had found out recently that she couldn't have a child that would explain why she looked so sad.

"I promise to be back for Christmas next year," he told her not knowing what else to say. Carole gave him a watery smile and was about to get up and leave Kurt to his project when he remembered his mission and he quickly told Carole about their plans to visit the homeless shelter before Christmas.

Carole was quick to ensure him that she and Burt would be there as well and that she would also spread the word in her classes.

They ended up talking until Kurt had finished his ring, and he even asked Carole to help him with the little speech he was planning for Blaine. Carole seemed happier when she was helping him and Kurt hoped to find a way to keep the smile on her face more permanently because Carole deserved to be happy, especially after everything she had done for him in the past.

* * *

 

Carole was glad that Kurt had asked her to join the glee club at the local homeless center because she liked feeling like someone needed her, even more so with Christmas approaching – the last one with the whole family regardless of what Kurt was promising.

While the glee kids were handing out presents to the kids while singing Christmas carols, Carole was giving out food with some of the other adults there. Next to her was a woman in her fifties, whose grey hair was pulled into a bun.

"First time here?" she asked Carole after they'd worked silently together for a while. Carole nodded. "My son and stepson are in glee club and asked me to help out," she explained.

"Well it's important and we appreciate it. Too bad people only seem to come here around Christmas." Well maybe that was something Carole could change … she would have a lot of free time soon enough.

"Do you work here permanently?" she asked, curious to find out more. "I'm Carole by the way."

"Jennifer. I'd shake your hand but I don't think right now would be a good idea," Jennifer laughed gesturing with the spoon in her hand.

"And no, I don't. I'm a social worker though. I help find foster families for the kids under my care."

Carole was intrigued because although she had met many different kinds of families during Burt's campaign she had never met any foster families.

"Maybe you are interested in joining our program? We are always looking for people wanting to help out. As the future senator's wife, this would send out a great message to other people thinking about it," Jennifer told her as they continued handing out soup and turkey with mashed potatoes to the people in the shelter.

Carole looked up in surprise. Why hadn't she thought about that before? She had been so focused on having a biological child she hadn't even considered other options. Maybe becoming foster parents would be a way to fill the void after the kids graduated in June.

"I'd have to talk to my husband about it, but maybe you could give me your number so I could call if we decide to sign up," Carole offered and Jennifer quickly took off her gloves and handed Carole a business card she had in her pocket.

"Always be prepared is my motto," she explained. "You have no idea how many people I managed to convert in soup kitchens," Jennifer joked.

Jennifer told her a bit more about her job as they continued to serve food and Carole was getting more and more intrigued by the idea.

Later that night, she and Burt sat down in the living room after Finn and Kurt had disappeared upstairs.

"I met a social worker tonight and she got me thinking," Carole told Burt once they were both comfortably settled on the couch. Burt looked at her questioningly and told her to go on.

"What would you say to becoming foster parents once the kids go to college? We wouldn't be alone here and would help some kids who really needed a safe place to stay," she asked hopeful that Burt would like the idea.

Burt smiled at her. "And that's the reason why I love you."

"Is that a yes?" Carole wanted to know. They weren't in a hurry because the kids still had four months of school left but she wanted to call Jennifer with the good news as soon as possible.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, but we should revisit it when the time comes to see where we are in our lives," Burt answered and Carole tried not to show that she was a bit disappointed he didn't say completely yes immediately. However, she had four months to convince her husband that becoming foster parents would be a great idea.

"I think I'll keep volunteering at the shelter," she said instead of talking about her feelings. "As your campaign manager I think you should as well," she added jokingly, but she knew Burt was already busy as it was and it would only get worse once he started working in Columbus the first week of January.

"I'll see that I can make it from time to time," Burt promised though and Carole beamed at him. "I love you," she whispered and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before getting up to go to sleep.

She had found a new passion and maybe if she focused on it hard enough she would forget about the fact that she couldn't have children anymore.

* * *

 

Christmas was Finn's favorite season for a few reasons. The biggest – and he didn't feel the need to hide it – presents. Then there were cookies – even better now that Kurt made them – spending time with family and watching silly Christmas movies in your pjs all day.

For years it had only been him and his mom, and from time to time his grandma as well, but then his mom had met Burt and even though he had felt a bit bad at first when he found out Burt was spending Christmas with them instead of his own son, he had been happy to have more people to share the fun with.

Last year's Christmas had even been better. He and Kurt were starting to become brothers and he realized that Blaine was a cool dude as well. Burt's weird parents weren't there and he and a couple of friends from school had drunk eggnog all night and had sung Christmas carols.

This year's Christmas eve dinner was a more quiet affair with only Blaine and his mom attending, because Rachel's parents had gone on a cruise with her and Santana's parents were in town for Christmas and wanted to spend some time with their daughter.

It had still been great though. He, Blaine and Kurt had made fun of the grown ups when they started to get really tipsy while trying to hide that they weren't exactly sober themselves. It was his grandma's fault though – who had finally given up on her singles cruise and had decided to come join them for Christmas dinner – because she convinced them to smoke some pot with her. To his surprise even Kurt had agreed, which he hadn't when the same thing went down during Thanksgiving, muttering something about getting college experiences out of the way in case he didn't get into college.

Finn thought that idea was ridiculous because if anyone didn't get into college it was him. He didn't dwell on that thought though, and instead had fun with his brother and Blaine as the night progressed.

It was close to midnight and Blaine and Kurt had just excused themselves to Kurt's room to "exchange presents", when Finn snuck into the kitchen for a late night snack. Music was still playing loudly in the living room, where his parents and Blaine's mom were dancing like drunken grown-ups, when Finn heard a knock on the front door.

He frowned as he swallowed another bite of his sandwich because it was late and snowing, and he didn't know anyone who would come over this time of the night. Still, he walked over to the front door, only stumbling once over his own shoes he had dropped there earlier before opening the door.

A gush of cold wind entered the hallway and Finn subconsciously took a step back. In front of the door was a tall man – not as tall as Finn but taller than Kurt - with dark hair, probably in his thirties, who looked vaguely familiar, though Finn couldn't place him. Maybe he just reminded him of someone else.

"Can I help you?" he finally managed to remember his manners after staring for a bit at the stranger shivering on their front porch.

The stranger nodded. "Is Blaine here? I'm his brother." 

* * *

 

  _Meanwhile in Kurt's bedroom_

Kurt didn't want to wait any longer to give Blaine his present and he especially didn't want to do it in front of his family because what if his dad misunderstood or Blaine hated it?

So he asked Blaine to join him in his bedroom when it seemed that no one would miss them at their little party. Blaine wasn't exactly sober anymore and Kurt had to tell him multiple times that he hadn't asked him upstairs for sex, because for one, they were both a bit drunk – and stoned Kurt suspected – and two their families were just downstairs.

Blaine kept pouting until Kurt handed him the ring box. Then his eyes went wide. "Is this …? Are you…?," he stuttered and Kurt took pity on him. "Just open the box Blaine."

Inside was the ring Kurt had worked on earlier in December, a little bowtie on top of it. "It's a promise ring," he explained when Blaine gave him a puzzled look. "Do you like it?" Kurt asked anxiously but he shouldn't have been worried because Blaine tackled him into a hug before trying to suck the air out of his lungs.

"I love it. I love you," Blaine proclaimed once they came up for air. "But what are you promising?"

Kurt took Blaine's hands into his own before he started to recite the little speech he and Carole had worked on.

"To always love you and remind you of it. To respect you and to help you when you need me. To listen to what you are saying instead of jumping to conclusions. To give you the benefit of the doubt before letting my imagination run wild. To tell you when I'm upset and to not keep secrets from you. To be honest to you about anything and everything. To…"

Well, Kurt didn't get to finish his speech as Finn suddenly burst into the room destroying the romantic atmosphere immediately. Kurt turned around to face his brother and if looks could kill Finn would be no more.

"What did I tell you about knocking Finn?" he growled. "Do you really want a repeat of last time?" It was a low blow after shaking on never mentioning the incident again, but Kurt couldn't stop himself.

Finn raised his hands in surrender turning a little green at the thought. "Sorry dudes but it's really important." Kurt sighed because Finn's definition of important was not the same as his. "What is it now?" he asked trying not to sound too patronizing.

"There's a guy here who wants to see Blaine. Says he is his brother."

Kurt gaped at Finn. Apparently Finn had finally mastered figuring out what was important information that had to be communicated immediately.

* * *

 

The relaxed and happy atmosphere in their living room had been replaced by a tense silence as Burt and Carole were quietly observing the young man sitting in an armchair close to the fireplace trying to get warmed up. Tala was staring at him, a puzzled look on her face, but at least she seemed to know the stranger Finn had dropped off in their living room before running upstairs to get Kurt and Blaine. All Finn had said was that the man claimed to be Blaine's brother, but apart from telling him to sit down, they hadn't spoken yet.

"How have you been Cooper?" Tala finally broke the ice and Burt at least had a name.

"Good," Cooper answered rather unconvincingly. "Did some more commercials lately out in L.A.," he added. So the kid was some sort of actor, Burt thought though he was sure he had never seen him before. He did however looked similar to Blaine and Jarred Anderson, but both boys had kinder eyes than their father.

"What brings you to Ohio, Cooper?" Carole asked, apparently not wanting to wait for the kids any longer. Cooper stiffened before he put on what Burt recognized as Blaine's game smile.

"Just wanting to see my little bro," he told the group but Burt turned to Tala when he heard her scoff. "You haven't been around since he was ten, so what's really going on here?" she asked.

"I'd like to know that too?" Blaine and Kurt had entered the living room, Finn trailing behind them. "Squirt," Cooper called out to Blaine, but quickly shut up when he saw the look on Blaine's face. Burt thought that was a wise choice.

"I, uh tried to call you, but I think you thought I was someone else." Cooper continued then however when Blaine didn't say anything else.

"That was you?" Kurt exclaimed and Burt shot his son a questioning look. Something was going on here that he was missing.

Cooper nodded but before he could say anything else Blaine interrupted him. "Why are you here? You haven't bothered to visit since I was ten." Blaine looked angry and Burt understood because he would be pissed too if he hadn't heard from a hypothetical brother in nearly ten years.

"You know how dad is," Cooper told Blaine and Blaine gave him a tense nod.

I'm a little confused here," Finn broke another tense silence. "How can he be your brother when he is nearly as old as Blaine's mom?" Three occupants in the room tensed and Burt guessed that was a sore subject.

When it appeared that neither Blaine, who had sat down in the love chair with Kurt nearly in his lap, which earned them a raised eyebrow from Cooper, or Tala were willing to volunteer any information, Cooper took it upon himself to explain.

"My mom and dad split up when I was nine. I wanted to stay with my mom, but my dad had made her sign a prenup that stated that any children they might have would stay with him in case of a divorce. When I was twelve, he brought home his brand new eighteen-year-old wife, and apparently he didn't like how well we got on, because before I knew it he finally let me move in with my mom. Two years later Blaine was born and I got to see him from time to time when my father ordered me to visit. There wasn't much we could do together because I was so much older and being a teenager I wasn't really interested in having to spend time with my baby half-brother. My dad forced me to attend U Michigan but as soon I was done with that I was ready to move as far away from him as possible."

Everyone was listening with rapt attention by now and Finn, who must have gone to the kitchen at some point, was munching popcorn while he listened.

"I went to Chicago at first trying to get gigs at some theaters there, but I soon realized that theater was dead and moved out to L.A when I was twenty four. Dad didn't like that and threatened to cut me off. I didn't care though because I knew I would get my trust fund as soon as I turned twenty-five and when I told him that he told me not to come back until I cleaned up my act. That was the last time I saw Blaine."

"As much as I enjoy being on the Cooper memory lane, you still haven't told us why you are here?" Blaine asked once his brother had finished his story. That was something Burt definitely wanted to know as well.

"Fine. My girlfriend kicked me out a few days ago and I didn't want to be alone for Christmas. So I drove up to Michigan but when I got to the house you and Tala weren't there and when I asked dad about you he told me to get the fuck out. I got on Facebook, found out Blaine was going to school in Lima now and drove down here after looking up your address and went to your house. No one was home, but your neighbors told me I could find you here. End of story."

Burt raised an eyebrow at him because he recognized a defiant tone when there was one.

"Or maybe not end of story. Who are you people?" Cooper suddenly seemed to have realized that they hadn't introduced themselves yet. Carole chuckled next to him before giving Cooper the cliffnotes version.

"I'm Carole Hudson-Hummel, Burt's wife. Burt is Kurt's father and Finn's stepfather. That's Finn," she pointed at her son "and that's Kurt" she pointed at Kurt who was still sitting in Blaine's lap pointedly ignoring Burt's stares as always.

"We met Blaine through Kurt and he stayed with us for a bit until he was reunited with his mother last year."

Cooper looked confused now and Burt wasn't surprised. "I'm assuming Tala finally divorced the jerk, but why was Blaine staying with you? I'm sure dad would have forced him to stay with him as well in case of a divorce."

"He kicked me out when he found out about Kurt and I," Blaine spoke up, not looking at his brother though and judging by Cooper's surprised expression he hadn't known about his brother's sexuality. Then again, he hadn't seen Blaine since he was ten.

"Um, that's cool dude, I guess. I live in L.A so I see that all the time." Burt could see his son wasn't too happy with Cooper's wording but he refrained from saying anything to Burt's surprise. Carole's mom had long gone to bed but Burt suspected she had something to do with Kurt's calm demeanor.

"Where are you staying Cooper?" Carole asked another question Burt was dying to get answered. "Does your mom live around here somewhere?"

Cooper shook his head. "She died two years ago. Cancer." Both Tala and Blaine looked surprised so Burt assumed the older Anderson hadn't mentioned the death of his ex-wife to his family.

Burt didn't know what to do. Apparently the kid – who really wasn't a kid anymore - had no place to stay in the middle of the night on Christmas eve and judging by Tala and Blaine's expressions they weren't too keen on having him stay with them. They didn't really have the space either with Santana living in their guest room.

Carole must have read his mind once again. "You can stay here for a couple of days if you like. We have a guest room or you can sleep in Blaine's room," she offered and Burt glared at her. "Relax, honey," his wife turned to him. "We both know that Blaine won't be staying in his room anyway."

Burt of course knew that this was true but he liked to pretend his son's boyfriend didn't sneak into said son's bedroom whenever he was spending the night. They had developed their own don't ask, don't tell policy in regards to those things.

Cooper looked grateful though, as Tala stood up to say good night, but he frowned when Blaine stayed seated on the couch. "Aren't you going with your mom?" he asked his brother.

Carole saved Blaine from having to answer. "Oh no. Blaine stays with us. Can't have him miss his second Hudmel Christmas," she explained before hinting that it was time for all of them to head to bed as well if they wanted to get up early for presents.

Not wanting to appear rude, and saving Blaine from having to do it, Burt offered Cooper to help him carry his bags in from the car and showed him to the downstairs guest bedroom, before joining his wife in the master bedroom.

"Sleep now, talk tomorrow," Carole mumbled sleepily as Burt joined her and he couldn't agree more. Before he fell asleep he wondered if they would ever manage to have normal holiday celebrations.

* * *

 

"Is this your not so subtle way of reminding me I'd be homeless right now if it weren't for your family?" Cooper asked her as she handed him an apron at the Lima homeless shelter.

"Because I wouldn't. I have tons of friends I could stay with in L.A. I choose to be here because I want to get to know baby bro a bit better," he continued, but he couldn't fool Carole. She had been a single mom long enough to call bullshit on a lying kid.

She didn't say anything however, letting him believe she bought his lie because she didn't know him well enough yet to call him out on it. Cooper had slept in while the rest of the family had exchanged presents and had only joined them once Carole had woken him up for breakfast – which had been awkward to say they least.

Blaine clearly didn't know how to handle having his brother in the house and Cooper either didn't realize that Blaine was uncomfortable or didn't care. She really hoped it was the first one.

To ease up the tension she had asked Cooper to tag along to one of her errands, which had brought them to the shelter where Carole now was explaining what to do to Blaine's brother – who was only three years younger than herself. She had to admit it was a bit weird, especially because Burt kept referring to him as kid in private.

"Blaine and Kurt, have they been dating for long?" Cooper suddenly asked. Carole nodded. "They just had their two year anniversary."

Cooper looked surprised before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like baby bro is freaking better at relationships than I am. "Is that how long you've known him?" he asked then.

Carole shook her head. She wasn't sure how much she should tell him, but she figured he would find out one way or another anyway. So she told him about the past two years, about what Kurt and Blaine had told her about their past and about meeting Blaine one and a half years a go. This time it was Cooper who was listening attentively.

"Wow, I really missed a lot," he finally said. "Why did you never try to contact Blaine then? From what I know your father was away on business trips a lot." Carole just had to ask.

"I thought Blaine would be better off without me. Our father hated me, and back then, Blaine was his favorite. His second chance at a better son, he once told me. I didn't know what my father told him about me and I didn't want to be called a failure by my kid brother as well. I do regret it now especially after hearing how he treated Blaine. I should have been there for him."

"You couldn't have known," Carole tried to comfort him. "It's not like you grew up together and you abandoned him," she added and Cooper smiled at her tentatively.

"Thanks Carole. I'm glad my brother has you in his life."

They handed out food silently for the next few minutes until Jennifer came up to talk to her.

"Hey you came back," she greeted before pointing at Cooper. "And you brought a friend." Carole introduced Cooper to Jennifer who managed to make the older woman blush as he winked at her. Cooper definitely knew how to be charming.

"Have you talked to your husband already about signing up for the program?" Jennifer asked after talking to Cooper briefly. Before Carole could answer, Jennifer's phone rang and she excused herself.

"What program?" Cooper asked now that he was back next to her. "Foster care," Carole explained as she handed out another bowl of soup.

"Oh you should totally do it. You'd be a great foster mom," Cooper told her and Carole smiles because it was nice that he was so enthusiastic about it.

"I mean, you took Kurt and my brother in and now you're letting me stay and your making sure that I'm comfortable. Any kid would be lucky to stay with you. You should tell Jen right now."

Carole thought for a moment. Cooper was right. There were so many kids out there who could find a home in their house and signing up right now wouldn't hurt because it would probably take ages to get approved as foster parents. If she started the process now they might get a kid as soon as the boys graduated. She'd just have to convince Burt that it was a good idea along the way.

It was with a new lightness in her heart that Carole strode over to Jennifer and informed her that she and Burt had decided to sign up. Jennifer to her surprise told her to wait a second and only a few minutes later came back with a pack of forms for Carole to fill out. With the help of the social worker she was done soon, and she was smiling happily when she signed her name on the dot.

"I or another social worker will come by in a couple of weeks to inspect your home, and if we deem everything alright you'll just have to wait for the paper work to go through before you'll be getting assigned your first child," Jennifer explained what would happen next after Carole had signed all the forms.

After everything was taken care of with Jennifer, Cooper and Carole stayed for another hour at the shelter before it was time for them to head home for a belated lunch. She didn't know what to expect once they got home, but for now nothing could dampen her spirits because in only a few months she would have a child to take care of when her own boys didn't need her any longer.

* * *

 

Kurt had taken him back up to his room after a rather uncomfortable brunch, where they spent the rest of the morning cuddling in bed and avoiding talking about his brother. Blaine was grateful Kurt was giving him time to work things out on his own before they talked about, because he wasn't sure what he was feeling. True, Cooper was his half-brother but they had never been close so Cooper wasn't more than an acquaintance really. On the other hand, he was family and he didn't have too many family members who actually wanted to spend time with him.

"You ready to talk about it?" Kurt asked a few hours later when they heard Carole's car coming up the driveway. Blaine shrugged, before telling Kurt what he had been thinking about during the morning.

"You know you don't have to make up your mind right now. You're right, he is family, but you have no obligations to him. Just talk to him and see how it goes," Kurt advised and Blaine agreed that would be a good idea.

Before he could add anything else there was a knock on the door and Cooper's head poked in. "Carole asked if you could help her with lunch," he told Kurt who leaned in and whispered, "I'll let you two talk," before leaving the room.

There was an awkward silence at first until Blaine pointed to Kurt's desk chair. "Do you want to sit down?" he asked Cooper who looked anxious as well.

Cooper nodded and crossed the room to the chair. Neither of them spoke as his half-brother looked around until Blaine cleared his throat.

"Kurt's room?" Cooper asked and Blaine nodded. God, why was this so awkward?

"What did you want to talk about?" Blaine asked when it appeared that Cooper wouldn't start the conversation.

"I don't know. Tell me about yourself I guess. I really don't know you very well," Cooper shrugged. Well whose fault was that, Blaine thought but refrained from saying it out loud.

Instead he told his half-brother about getting beat up in Middle school, transferring to Dalton, the Warblers and New Directions and about meeting Kurt at Dalton and what had happened since.

Cooper looked sad once he finished but he didn't need his pity. "I'm sorry I missed all that and I know I already said that but it's the truth. I should have tried to spend time with you, at least once we both got older," he said, but Blaine just shrugged.

"I get it. If I were a teen and suddenly had a baby brother I probably wouldn't know what to do with him either. And I do understand wanting to get away from dad. I just wish I'd had the chance to do it on my own terms as well."

Cooper looked like he wanted to say something but Blaine plowed on because he needed to get it out. "It wasn't like I missed you or anything. We weren't close and I only saw you a handful of times growing up. We were never brothers and if that's what you came for I'm sorry to disappoint you. We are basically strangers at this point, related or not."

Blaine expected Cooper to not take what he was saying well, but instead he was faced with an expression he was very familiar with, something Kurt called his game face. It was odd seeing Cooper look so familiar and still feel nothing for the older man.

"Then let me be your friend," Cooper offered. "We've both been dealt a shitty hand when it comes to our family and I think we could both need some extra support. We could spend some more time together to get to know each other better."

Blaine frowned. Did that mean Cooper had plans to stay in Ohio for a while longer? It wasn't his place to kick his brother out of his boyfriend's house, but he'd rather Cooper was staying somewhere else.

"What are your plans? Are you going back to L.A soon?" he asked, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He wasn't sure what he preferred – Cooper to leave or stay. Because Cooper was right. It would be nice to have more supportive family members around.

"Thought I could look for a job and stay for a while. Your mom told me you're graduating soon so I kind of want to hang around for a bit before you leave town. What are your plans by the way?"

"New York," Blaine answered immediately. "I want to study composition and compose my own musical one day." He usually left out the details when he talked to people about his college plans because it was still possible he didn't get into a school with a good music program he could afford. Only Kurt knew all the details of his own dreams and he had already promised his boyfriend to make sure his first musical had a killer role for him in it.

Cooper looked impressed but told Blaine to forget about New York because Broadway was dead and if he wanted to make it as a musician he had to come out to L.A. Blaine didn't tell him he had applied for schools in California as well, because Cooper also believed college was a waste of time and because Blaine didn't have the heart to tell Cooper that a good college education was vital and he – as a pretty much failed actor – should know that.

Before Blaine could say something insulting, he was saved by Carole calling them down for lunch and Blaine was grateful for the interruption. It had been nice to have a grown-up conversation with Cooper, but he wasn't ready yet to spend more than an hour at a time with him.

He just hoped Cooper would get a job soon, because he didn't need the additional stress at the moment.

* * *

 

Blaine's older brother was awesome, Finn thought as he jugged another beer. When they had told Cooper about the New Year's Eve party they had planed to have with the glee club while their parents were out of town for their own celebrations, Cooper had gone out and brought back tons of booze and junk food for the party, insisting they didn't have to pay for it because he was doing it to show his brother how to have a good time.

The party was in full swing two hours after it had started and most members of their club were well on their way to being wasted. Cooper was the life of the party and Finn had caught Blaine glaring at his brother more than once already, but he certainly wasn't complaining. It had been a while since he had that much fun and everyone was partying hard because they knew they only had a few months of school left after which people would move away for college.

"How about some truth or dare?" Finn heard Cooper shout as he got himself another beer and he hurried to join the rest of the group in the living room where Blaine was telling his brother that that was not a good idea.

"Oh come on, squirt. What better way to get to know your brother a little better," Cooper argued and Blaine was quickly out-voted, even by Kurt who was beyond tipsy at this point and kept telling everyone how handsome Blaine's brother was.

Half an hour later, Finn had to agree with Blaine though. There were just some things you didn't need to know about your brother and Kurt always chose truth. They switched to spin the bottle soon after and he and Sarah followed Blaine and Kurt who were dragging Cooper with them into the kitchen to order some food, so Cooper didn't play spin the bottle with a bunch of teenagers.

If Finn hadn't known how old Cooper was, he'd have assumed he was one of their peers because of how well he got on with all the high schoolers. He hoped that he would also be that cool when he got old.

They watched the ball drop on Times Square on TV before all the couples paired off for New Year's kisses and Finn was happy to have someone this year he could kiss. In the corner closest to him and Sarah, Kurt and Blaine were making out and in another corner Brittany was down to a skirt and bra while sucking face with Santana.

It was a perfect party – at least it was until their parents came home unexpectedly half an hour later. Mike and the new kid Ryder had volunteered as DD and they immediately started driving everyone home when they saw his mom's expression.

Finn gulped because his mom looked pissed. It usually was okay for them to have a glass of wine with the adults for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or a glass of champagne for New Years, but the amount of booze that was still spread over their living room was probably not what his mom wanted to see.

He brazed himself for a lecture and being grounded till he graduated high school, but his mom turned on Cooper as soon as all their friends were gone.

"I can't believe you'd act so irresponsible. Most of these kids are minors and you thought it was okay to turn our house into a bar. I thought I could trust you to keep an eye on the party but I'm not so sure you should be staying with us much longer if you are a bad influence on the kids," she accused Blaine's brother who looked rather uncomfortable.

Finn really wanted to come to his defense because even if Cooper hadn't brought the alcohol someone else would have but he didn't want to experience his mom's anger right now.

Blaine looked uncomfortable as well before he squared his shoulders and walked over to Finn's mom.

"Carole, this is all my fault. I bought the alcohol with my fake ID and asked Cooper not to tell you. We thought you wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning and by then we would have cleaned up. We had designated drivers and had also offered people to stay, so we thought it wouldn't hurt anyone if we had some drinks," Blaine lied to his mom.

Kurt gaped at his boyfriend but when Burt looked at him, Kurt looked contrite. "I'm sorry dad. I know we shouldn't have, but that was kind of our last new year's party together and we wanted it to be memorable. This is really not Cooper's fault," he told Burt.

Finn was stunned because if he was being honest, he wasn't sure if he would have done the same for Kurt if the situation were reversed. Did that make him a bad brother? Blaine didn't even seem to like his brother that much and still he had taken the blame to keep his brother from getting kicked out of the house.

He watched as Blaine handed over his fake ID to Burt while trying to convince himself that he had done plenty in the past to prove his was a good brother.

A little later Finn found himself on his way to the kitchen for a last snack when he overheard his mom and Burt talking.

"You do know Blaine was lying, right?" Burt told his mom. "Fake ID or not, no store would have let him walk out with this amount of booze."

His mom chuckled. "I know, but seeing Blaine stand up for his brother like this proved to me that Blaine does want him around so I decided to play along. This way we got his ID and we both know the kids aren't innocent in this because they were all drinking. Besides it could have been worse. At least no one got pregnant at this party."

Finn nearly choked on a piece of chips he had found on the coffee table, before he smirked. He couldn't wait to tell Kurt about the awesome blackmail material he had discovered, even though he could have lived a long and happy life without ever finding out when he was conceived.


	8. January 2012

It didn't take long for Blaine to regret taking the blame for the party to ensure Cooper got to stay with the Hudmels a little longer. In fact, it took him thirty-six hours and twelve minutes.

After thanking Blaine a thousand times for saving his ass, Cooper had taken to following Blaine around like a lost puppy, spending all his time with him regardless of whether Blaine was at Kurt's house or at his own. Still, he didn't have the heart to tell him off because he had realized that Cooper didn't have a lot of people he could call close friends and didn't know anyone in Ohio apart from Blaine and Kurt's family.

Also, it would soon change because school was starting in two days and Cooper couldn't very well follow him to school. Or so he thought as he drove up to Kurt's house the following Monday to pick up Kurt and Finn. To save money on gas the three had agreed to car pool to school and were using a different car every week.

Blaine quickly kissed Kurt good morning as Finn climbed into the backseat and he was about to put the car in drive when the back door opened again and Cooper climbed into the car as well.

"Didn't you hear me calling out for you?" his brother asked Kurt who was studying his nails in an attempt to not give away that he had ignored Cooper on purpose. "I nearly missed you guys."

Blaine managed to suppress a sarcastic 'too bad' and gave his brother a fake smile as he drove onto the street.

"Can we drop you off somewhere Cooper?" he asked instead but wasn't surprised when his brother informed him he was coming to school with them because he wanted to meet their friends again.

The three of them escaped into their classes as soon as they arrived on school grounds after telling Cooper not to cause any trouble and Blaine thought he had finally gotten rid of Cooper because his brother would surely soon get bored.

Therefore he nearly fell out of his seat when principal Figgins made an announcement over the intercom during his third period.

"Students of McKinley High School. I am proud to tell you that Hollywood actor Cooper Anderson has agreed to teach a Master Class in acting this semester. Anyone interested can sign up for his class outside the cafeteria," the principal announced and Blaine saw his friends turn around and shoot him a questioning look. Blaine just shrugged because he had no idea what was going on either.

At least this way Cooper would be occupied and Blaine would get some privacy back. Unfortunately he was wrong again.

After classes were finally over, Blaine and Kurt walked together to the choir room discussing Cooper's latest stunt. Most of the other students were already in there and it didn't take long for Ms. Corcoran to arrive after them – with Cooper in tow.

"Guys, this is Cooper. Principal Figgins wants us to win Nationals this year and decided that Cooper here should help us out. Cooper also just told me that Blaine is his younger brother. So please give him a warm welcome."

Well fuck, Blaine thought and dropped his head into his hands while Kurt was running his hand up and down his back soothingly.

Over the next couple of days Blaine figured out that Cooper must suck as an actor because the advice he gave the Glee club was just terrible. Even worse, he forced Blaine to perform a song with him, they had done during one of Cooper's visits when Blaine was eight and Cooper had just graduated from college.

Everyone else in the club thought their brothers’ act was cute but Cooper was seriously starting to get on his nerves because he was constantly criticizing him and telling him how much better he was and why Blaine sucked doing a certain song or choreography.

By the time the first full week was over, Blaine felt ready to strangle his brother, because there was no escaping him. He was at school, at Kurt's house and sometimes he was already at Blaine's house hanging out with his mom.

It was one of those days when he received an email from Columbia University and Blaine was hyperventilating in his chair for a few minutes before he finally opened the email.

His desk chair fell over with a bang as he jumped up and proceed to jump up and down on his bed like he was crazy. Only moments later his mom and Cooper were in the basement checking on him. Blaine beamed at them.

"I got invited to audition for the Columbia-Julliard joint degree program,” he announced proudly. “They want me to come up to New York in February to hear me play and look at some things I have composed so far."

His mom immediately pulled him off the bed and into a hug and Cooper wasn't far behind.

"That's great squirt. Tell me when and I'm coming with you. I've auditioned for tons of stuff so I'm sure I can give you some tips."

Dear god no, was his only thought, but he gave his brother a thumbs up nevertheless. Time to bring in the big guns.

Later that night, after a celebratory dinner with Kurt, Blaine relayed his dilemma to Carole who promised to take care of it for him. True to her word she must have spoken to Cooper because his brother came up to him a few days later and told him he was sorry but he couldn't come with him to New York after all because it wouldn't be fair to his students who lived for his class.

Blaine sent her a bouquet of white roses as a thank you, before starting to plan his and Kurt's trip to New York.

* * *

 

Kurt was getting antsy as all around him his friends got invited to audition for performing art schools or heard back about early admissions. Quinn had managed to get into Yale – and no one knew how she had managed that because as far as Kurt knew  Blaine was at the top of the class at McKinley.

Mercedes had already heard back from a school in Massachusetts as well – one Kurt had also applied to – and Rachel already had invites to audition for AMDA, the Manhattan School of Music, and Kurt's dream school Julliard. Mike was a shoe in for a dance school in Chicago and Sam had been accepted into OSU which had sent Mercedes into a crying fit because she was sure he would break up with her for sure after graduation.

The only people other that him that weren't talking about college were Santana, Brittany, Puck and Finn. Santana refused to tell anyone where she had applied and Brittany was being cryptic as well.

The only school Kurt had heard back from so far had been OSU as well, where he got accepted, but he had only applied because his father had insisted he had a backup school. But he knew he'd rather go to New York and try to make it on his own without college before staying in Ohio for it.

He really wanted to be happy for Blaine, but as the days wore on and he still hadn't heard anything from any of the schools he had applied for, and had to watch Blaine and Rachel look up train, bus and plane schedules he couldn't help but be jealous. He should be there with them making plans instead of watching from the sidelines.

Rachel had tried to comfort him by telling him that the schools might send out notifications alphabetically and Kurt hoped it was true because everyone who had gotten mail till now had been before him in the alphabet. Santana was the only one behind him but she wasn't saying anything about her own college applications so Kurt couldn't be sure.

Kurt knew he wasn't the worst applicant – he had had a role in the school musical, had sung duets at competitions and had worked at a performing arts camp, as well as receiving a letter of recommendation from Ms. Corcoran.

But maybe the schools disagreed and thought the show reel he had sent along with his application had sucked.

Asking Cooper's opinion had been a bad idea as well as Blaine's brother had handed him a list of things he thought Kurt was doing wrong and he had ended up feeling even more depressed than before.

Thankfully Blaine did his best to cheer him up when he could escape Cooper and now that his dad was in Columbus most of the time they at least had some privacy at home while Finn was at football practice. After realizing how much it bothered Kurt to watch Blaine plan his New York visit his amazing boyfriend had even offered to stop talking about it when Kurt was around but Kurt assured him he could handle it, because he knew that as a good boyfriend he had to support Blaine no matter what.

It was still only early January and all hope wasn't gone yet. He just had to focus on that.

* * *

 

Burt had to admit he had been a bit naïve when it came to his new job because he was surprised how much work it was. He was now really glad that he had hired a new worker because he only had time to check in on the shop on the weekends.

After two days of driving back to Lima in the middle of the night, Carole had put her foot down and had ordered Burt to get an apartment in Columbus because she hated it when he drove that late at night.

His new apartment reminded him of the one he had had when he was in junior college, before they had found out that Lizzy was pregnant. It was a one-bedroom apartment with a small kitchenette, a couch and a small TV, perfect for nights when he was working late.

He would never admit it but he kind of liked having his bachelor pad. He could drink whatever beer he liked and no one complained when he ate fast food for dinner every night.

Of course he felt a bit guilty to spend so much time away from his family, but they were busy as well and understood. In the end it was a test run for next year when the boys would have left for college and it was only him and Carole. Maybe he could convince her to spend some time with him in Columbus once the kids were out of the house.

He settled on his small couch, a box of meat lover's pizza, a bud and some proposed bills he had to look through in front of him, when Carole called to ask if he would come down to Lima that night.

He had an early meeting the next morning and while he had gotten off early today he hadn't been in the mood to drive to Lima because that would have meant he had to leave the house at six the next morning to get back to Columbus on time.

Carole as always was sympathetic but Burt could hear it in her tone of voice that she was disappointed so Burt promised to be back in time for Friday night dinner, because he hated being the reason she was sad. Maybe they should get a puppy or a kitten so Carole wouldn't be alone while he was gone.

He hadn't forgotten Carole's idea of becoming foster parents but he didn't think the timing was right at the moment with him spending most of the week in Columbus. Carole had been a single mom long enough and he didn't want her to go through that again, just because she was desperate to have a child.

He had of course been disappointed as well when Carole told him about the doctor's visit but he had come to terms with it and now that he saw how much work his new job was, he was actually kind of glad Carole hadn't gotten pregnant.

They could still look into adoption or something like this once his term was over in case he didn't get reelected.

Burt sighed. It was much too early to think about that. For now he picked up a slice of pizza and practically moaned at the taste. Yes, living on his own for a bit definitely had its perks.

* * *

 

Carole was lonely – plain and simple. The boys were out a lot and most evenings she had been coming home to an empty house ever since Burt had started his new job almost two weeks ago.

She knew she had no right to complain because she had been the one to tell Burt to get an apartment, but she hadn't expected him to stay there most nights now.

Then there was also the fact that she still hadn't told Burt about signing them up as foster parents because that was something she had to tell him in person and she was a bit afraid of his reaction.

When a social worker called and asked if she was still interested and up for a visit, loneliness won out over guilt though and she told the woman on the phone to just come by the house some afternoon before four.

She couldn't have the kids home for this because she couldn't ask them to keep such a big secret for her. They agreed on a visit in two days and Carole immediately started cleaning the house until everything was spotless because she wanted to leave a good first expression.

To her relief it was Jennifer who showed up at the house early in the afternoon two days later and Carole gave her a quick tour of the house before the two women settled in the living room to talk.

"You said one of the rooms upstairs is your stepson's boyfriend's room. How come he has his own room?" Jennifer asked once they were both settled in the living room, two steaming cups of coffee in front of them.

"Oh Blaine lived with us for close to a year. He had been staying with Kurt and his mother before and when we moved here from Texas, I decided to take him as well because I didn't want to see a sixteen year old live on his own, legally emancipated or not," Carole explained.

"So you already have experience with taking care of other people's kids. That's great," Jennifer told her and Carole realized she was right. She had just never thought about it like that because Blaine was never a complete stranger because of his connection with Kurt."

"You said Kurt was living with his mother before. Any reason why he is living with you now? I have to ask those things so I can learn a bit more about your family." Jennifer continued and Carole nodded before explaining Kurt's situation.

"Last one about your living arrangements," Jennifer said once Carole had finished. "You said that the guest room is currently occupied by your stepson's boyfriend's brother. Would you even have any room left for a foster child?"

Carole chuckled because they did have a full house again. "Well Cooper's stay with us should only be temporary and Blaine hasn't stayed in his room for ages. My husband doesn't really like that but we are aware that they are spending the night together anyway regardless of what we say, so we stopped telling them to sleep in separate rooms. I'm sure Blaine wouldn't have a problem with giving up his room if Cooper is still living here when we take in a child."

Carole sincerely hoped that wouldn't be the case as much as Cooper could be fun to be around – when he wasn’t buying her kids booze.

After that they talked some more about their financial situation, Burt and Carole's jobs and their own kids and before she knew it the visit was over and Jennifer assured her their application would be approved.

For the first time in a while, Carole was all smiles when the boys came home and to celebrate her secret victory she decided to take them out to dinner.

"I'm glad you aren't looking sad any more, mom," Finn told her during dinner, and Carole was surprised that her usually not so observant son had picked up on her mood.

"It's nothing Finn. I'm just missing Burt a bit. Nothing to worry about," she assured her son, who seemed to accept her answer if the way he was devouring his food again was any indication.

And as far as she knew there was nothing to worry about. The government was notorious for taking forever with paperwork, so there wasn't any hurry to tell the boys. They would cross that bridge once they got there.

* * *

 

A few days later, Finn found his mom in the living room looking through what appeared to be his baby pictures. When she spotted him, she patted the space next to her and Finn sat down on the couch, close enough so he could look at the pictures as well.

One picture especially piqued his interest as it was one of his father with his arms around his pregnant mother. He must have been Finn's age and Finn again thanked his lucky star that he hadn't gotten anyone pregnant so far.

There was also something he wanted to talk to his mom about and hopefully now was a good time.

"Mom," he started. "I've been thinking. Would you be okay if I started calling Burt dad? I need to ask Kurt as well, but I won't do it if you don't want me to," he continued.

His mom scooted over and put her hand on his knee, squeezing it gently.

"Finn honey. That would be fine with me and I'm sure Burt would like that as well. After all, he's been your dad for the past seven years and you never really knew your biological father."

Finn sometimes wasn't so sure if that was a blessing or a curse. He didn't have a single memory of his dad – all his knowledge about him had come from his mom – but he was also glad he never had to experience what Kurt had with his mom.

"Thanks mom," he told her sincerely because his mom was right. Burt was the only father he had ever had, and it was about time he got to call him one. He just hoped Kurt would be okay with it.

They continued looking through the album until they reached pictures of his dad in uniform and Finn hoped his mom would react to his second request as well as to his first.

"I've been talking to someone at the recruitment center a few months back," Finn confessed. His mom looked up in shock, nearly dropping the album and he knew she wouldn't like it before she even opened her mouth. He had to make her understand.

"I want to honor my dad because he was a hero and this is the best way to do it. I need to feel like I'm doing something important with my life," Finn powered on as he saw his mom pale.

"Finn, no," she said but Finn couldn't let her destroy the only dream he could actually make come true.

"Mom, I need to do this. I have no plans what to do with my life and maybe the army can help me figure it out. And they are going to pay for college once I'm done. That's why dad joined, wasn't it?"

His mom was looking even paler now and Finn didn't like it. But nothing could prepare him for what came next.

His mom took both of his hands into her own and looked him straight into the eye.

"Finn, I'm so sorry honey. I know I should have told you sooner, but I just couldn't do it."

And then she told him how his father had received a dishonorable discharge for turning to drugs, that it had gotten so bad that his mom wouldn't leave him alone with his dad anymore because she was afraid something would happen to him and how his father died of a drug overdose and not in the war as he had always believed.

He couldn't believe that his whole life had been a lie. That he had come so close to joining the army to follow in his dad's footsteps. His dad who had become a junky and was no hero after all.

It was hard to believe his mom had kept this from him for so many years. Hadn't he deserved to know the truth? He wasn't a kid anymore and would have handled it, but now, after so many years he felt deeply betrayed by his mom.

He needed to get some air. Pushing the album off his lap he jumped up and stormed out of the living room, ignoring his mom who was crying and begging him to stay so they could talk about it.

But he didn't want to talk anymore. He wanted to punch or throw something. He had never thought his mom would be the one to betray him someday but apparently Burt had really found his match in his mom.

He was driving around aimlessly for hours until he was desperate for some food because in his hurry he had forgotten his wallet and phone. He turned around and headed back to the house.

When he arrived, Kurt was sitting on the front porch, bundled up in a thick winter coat, apparently waiting for him.

Finn got out of the car and when he reached the steps, his brother stood up and wrapped his arms around him.

"If you want to talk, I'm here for you," Kurt told him, before Finn dissolved into tears.

* * *

 

It had taken Finn a couple of days to take Kurt up on his offer, but when he did knock on his door, Kurt quickly went downstairs to prepare two cups of warm milk for their talk.

"It just sucks, finding out your dad wasn't who you thought he was," Finn finally said after they'd been sipping their milk in silence for a bit.

"Tell me about it," Kurt retorted because he still remembered the feeling when he found out why his dad never visited.

"But you have to know that your father must have loved you. Otherwise he would have never joined to army in the first place to ensure you and your mom were being taken care of," Kurt tried to assure Finn as he welcomed him into their little daddy issues club.

"I guess," Finn muttered. "I just wish my mom didn't lie to me." Kurt didn't know what to say to do that. He had kept his promise and not told Finn when Carole had asked him to keep it a secret because he understood how hard it was to learn the truth about ones parents.

"I'm sure she just wanted to protect you. My mom did the same for me. She kept making up excuses for why my dad was never around for ages until I found out on my own," Kurt confessed.

Finn seemed to ponder that before he frowned and Kurt looked at him questioningly.

"But what do I do now? I thought joining the army would be a good way to honor my dad but I don't really want to do that anymore. What am I supposed to do now?"

Kurt wished he had all the answers but the truth was, as much as he pretended that he did, he didn't.

"We'll find you a new dream. Something you'll want to do for you and nobody else. And it's okay to take your time. No one expects you to figure everything out this minute."

Finn gave him a small smile before awkwardly pulling him into a hug, something Finn didn't do too often.

"But you have to promise not to give up on your dreams either. I've seen how miserable you've been those past few days."

Kurt was surprised that Finn had even noticed but he was glad for Finn's pep talk. Rationally he knew it wasn't the end of the world if he didn't get into the schools of his dreams his first try but it was still hard to come to terms with it.

"I'm glad you are my brother, you know?"

Finn's whole face lit up and Kurt was glad to know his brother felt the same.

"Speaking of families, there's something I wanted to ask you?" Finn said then and Kurt told him to go on.

"It's just that I've known your dad for seven years now and I never really had a dad before, so I wanted to know if it would be okay if I called Burt dad?"

Kurt had honestly been surprised that Finn wasn't calling Burt dad already when they met one and half years ago, but in a way he was glad he hadn't because it would have only made him even more jealous of the relationship his father had had with Finn.

"That's cool Finn. I don't mind," he told Finn honestly because his father was as much Finn's dad as he was his own.

"If you want you can call my mom mom too if you want," Finn offered after telling Kurt how much that meant to him.

Kurt shook his head though. "I'm sorry but I can't. I love your mom, but she isn't my mom. Maybe one day I will but it's too soon for that, even though I know it wouldn't mean that I love my mom any less or am forgetting about her. I'm so glad to have your mom in my life but it's just not the same," he explained.

And it wasn't. Like Finn had said. The only father figure he had ever had, had been Kurt's dad, but Kurt had had his mom for seventeen years and right now he needed a friend in Carole more than a mom. But who knew what would happen down the line. Maybe one day he would feel comfortable to call Carole mom. And maybe he would never be able to do so.

But it didn't really matter what they called each other. They were family now and that was all that mattered.

* * *

 

After being late for two Friday night dinners in a row, Burt knew he had to leave Columbus early this week. Luckily, there wasn't much to do and he made it back to Lima shortly after noon.

On their kitchen table, Kurt's laptop was still open to an email program and Burt was about to close it and carry the computer upstairs to Kurt's room when he saw who the newest emails were from.

Not even bothering to put the laptop into a bag he grabbed it and ran out to his truck with it before driving to McKinley where the boys still had class.

A little asking around told him that glee club rehearsal was going on at the moment and after getting lost a few times he finally reached the choir room.

Through the door, he could see Blaine's brother do some weird faces and he quickly knocked on the door before entering.

"I need to borrow Kurt for a moment," he announced and told Kurt to meet him outside.

A few seconds later, both Kurt and Blaine were standing in front of him, looking at him expectedly. Burt thrust the laptop into Kurt's hand and when his son saw the emails he was afraid he would drop the computer.

"Come on, open them?" he urged Kurt who was startled enough to swipe his finger over the pad to open the first one. Blaine was looking over Kurt's shoulder as well as he could and his facial expressions were Burt's only indications about the news Kurt was receiving because he son was oddly quiet the whole time.

Finally Kurt put the laptop down on the floor before he looked up at Burt. "I got invited to audition for four schools," he whispered and Burt pulled Kurt into a tight embrace.

"That's amazing Kurt," he told his son, because even he knew by now that those schools were a big deal. "Which ones?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Julliard, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Manhattan School of Music in New York and Berklee College of Music in Boston."

Burt was about to suggest the boys go back to class after congratulating Kurt again, when Blaine swooped and kissed his son as if he wasn't even there. And they probably had already forgotten he was there.

Burt left the school and the boys with a huge smile on his face. Kurt was happy, so now he only had to take care of Finn who had been sulking and avoiding his mom since Carole had told him the truth about Christopher.

Their dinner that night was nice. Carole seemed a lot happier because he was on time for once, although he could see it in her eyes that Finn's coldness was hurting her.

"I'm so proud of you Kurt," Carole told his son during dinner. "I just hope you'll be okay in New York." Kurt quickly assured his wife that he wouldn't be going alone because his auditions were the same week as Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes'. Finn sat up straighter when they started to discuss Kurt's trip to New York and Burt had an idea for how to cheer up Finn.

"Why don't you go with Kurt if you don't have any important test that week," Burt suggested and Finn immediately nodded enthusiastically. Carole didn't look too happy but didn't argue, but Burt knew he would be able to convince her that sending Finn with Kurt wasn't a bad idea.

He hated seeing Carole and Finn not getting along because Carole usually got along with everyone. Wanting to do something about this as well, Burt volunteered him and Finn for dishes duty and as soon as they were alone in the kitchen Burt started talking to Finn.

"Finn, I understand you're angry but you're mom only did what she thought was best for you. We discussed telling you when you were younger but we both agreed to wait a little longer. So please just talk to her. I'm sure she'll answer any questions you might have, but don't shut her out."

Finn did look a bit guilty after Burt had finished his little speech and he hoped the issue would be resolved soon.

Thanks dad," Finn suddenly said and Burt nearly dropped a plate. "That's okay that I called you that, right?" Finn stuttered out after seeing Burt's reaction and Burt hurried to assure him that it was indeed all right and that Burt was happy if Finn wanted to call him dad.

In fact, he was ecstatic.

* * *

 

Blaine had expected many things when Cooper had told him they had to talk as soon as possible, but that was not one of them.

Copper was leaving again, because he had gotten a few auditions in New York, the city he claimed was dead. Or maybe it was just the theater there. Who knew?

And Blaine had to admit he was sad to see his brother go, even though he had gotten on his nerves a lot during the past few weeks.

"Cheer up, squirt," Cooper had said and Blaine had cringed again at the nickname. "I won't be a stranger this time. I promise."

And Blaine wanted to believe him.

Cooper must have caught his sour expression but had interpreted it differently because suddenly he was apologizing to Blaine.

"I know I've been kind of hard on you, but only because I want you to succeed. You're so talented and I want you to be able to do what I haven't managed yet."

Blaine hadn't expected that much honesty from Cooper concerning his own situation but like a good brother he tried to convince his brother that it wasn't too late for him yet, and that he was talented as well. Maybe telling him the truth would have been better in the long run, but Blaine didn't have the heart to tell him.

"Just work hard okay. I didn't do much in college and afterward I just blew through my trust fund. But I think you're smarter than I am."

"Thanks Cooper, that means a lot," Blaine had told his brother and meant it, because Cooper was a cautionary tale.

"And you know what?" his brother had continued. "I want you to succeed because can you imagine dad's reaction if both of his sons are in the entertainment industry?"

Even Blaine had to chuckle at that because his dad had always hated anything to do with music or acting. It was the ultimate fuck you to their father.

"So hit me up when you come to New York for your auditions. I'll scope out some good bars so I can show you a good time when you get there." Cooper had promised.

Blaine wasn't so sure he and his brother had the same idea of a good time, but he agreed nevertheless. Burt had given him back his fake ID after the party saying Blaine was old enough to know what he was doing and not to get into trouble again.

"I'm going to miss you," he had told Cooper honestly. And for the first time in years they had hugged before Cooper had left the house to start packing.

* * *

 

The past few days had been hard on Carole because Finn refused to talk to her but she hadn't really expected a different reaction. It still hurt though.

She was more than grateful therefore when Finn came up to her five days after the big reveal and told her he was ready to talk.

"Thanks, honey. If you have any questions please ask me."

And Finn had asked her. About his father's decision to join the army, what he was like when he came back and what was going on in his life before his overdose.

She had always wanted to spare him because she knew the truth would hurt him, and she could see that it did, but he was handling it all fairly well.

"It was so hard after your dad died," Carole told him, remembering the time as if it were yesterday. "I mean it was already hard when he came back because he wasn't the same anymore, but I thought he just needed time to get used to being a father, but it got bad enough that I didn't dare leave you with him. I was barely twenty, had no college education and was well on the way to becoming a single mom even when he was still alive."

Finn had moved closer to her at that point and she was grateful for his presence.

"I couldn't even move back home because my mom had moved away and the only people I called somewhat friends at that point were in Texas. I did the best that I could, but I was never sure I would manage raising a child on my own."

She had found herself in Finn's arms after that revelation and as Finn hugged her tightly she could feel his tears on her cheek.

"I think you did an amazing job mom," Finn sobbed in her arms and Carole couldn't contain her own tears any longer either. All she ever wanted was for Finn to have a good life and having her son tell her she did all right, was the best feeling in the world.

Because that meant that in the end it had all been worth it. Not being able to buy nice things to get Finn the things he wanted. Working long hours in a job she hated, having not much of a social life.

"I love you, honey," she had told her son in tears, "and I'm so sorry about your dad."

They had spent much of the afternoon crying as Finn was listening to stories from her life. The true stories.

After the truth had come out, Carole had started to doubt whether she was really fit to become a foster mother, but hearing Finn say that he thought she did a good job, had strengthened her belief that she would be able to take care of a stranger's child.

And this time she wouldn't have to do it alone.

* * *

 

Kurt was in full on party planning mode – Blaine's eighteenth birthday was only a few days away after all and everything had to be perfect. There were more things that stressed him though. They would take a train up to New York a few days afterward for their auditions, then it was Valentine's Day and shortly after that Regionals – for which they still didn't have a final set list.

So he hoped Blaine would really appreciate it that he took three hours out of his busy schedule to look up rental places that had disco balls. Like most of New Directions he wasn't a fan of the music, but unfortunately Blaine loved disco and so Kurt had decided to give him a seventies themed party for his eighteenth birthday.

His dad and Carole were in the kitchen preparing dinner and Finn was upstairs blasting zombies or something when the doorbell rang and Kurt yelled that he'd get it because it was probably another delivery for the party.

It wasn't. When he opened the door a middle-aged woman was standing outside. Next to her, clutching a blue backpack, was a boy of about nine, Kurt guessed.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely assuming the visitors were selling cookies or something like that.

"This is the Hummel-Hudson residence, right?" the woman asked and Kurt nodded.

"Oh good. For a moment I thought I had the wrong address. I'm Marissa Sanders from social services and this is Ethan," she introduced herself and pointed at the boy next to her.

Kurt felt like he was missing something and his confusion must have shown as the woman chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, I'm new to this. Let me try again. This is Ethan and he is your family's first foster child."

Kurt was sure that had he been carrying something in his hands he would have dropped it. He gaped at the woman like a fish out of water because what the hell? Foster child?

"Ahm, can I talk to your parents maybe. I need to talk to them about Ethan's situation," the woman went on either not noticing his baffled reaction or ignoring it.

Well there was only one solution to the problem.

"Dad, Carole! You need to come out here now!"


	9. February

It was chaos everywhere. Blaine's birthday party was in full swing because it wouldn't have been fair to cancel at the last minute and Burt had been looking for their newest family member for nearly twenty minutes now but the boy was nowhere to be found. Burt sent another glare in his wife's direction but Carole was busy in the kitchen leaving him to clean up her mess.

_Three days earlier…_

_When Burt heard Kurt yell he immediately rushed to the door where an unfamiliar woman was standing with a young boy informing him that the boy, Ethan, was his foster child. Burt looked confused because while he and Carole had debated becoming foster parents he was sure he'd told his wife they'd talk about it again in a few months._

_Carole had arrived by then as well, and Burt only had to take one look at her to know what was going on. Because Carole looked incredibly guilty. He couldn't believe it. How could she go behind his back like that? This was a child they were talking about after all, not just some stray dog._

_His first intuition was to tell the woman to take the boy with her and find someone else to take care of him, because he hadn't signed up for this. But then he caught the boy's expression. He looked scared and defiant at the same time reminding him of Kurt after Lizzy's funeral. He couldn't turn them away, so he did the only other thing he could do – he invited them in._

" _Kurt, why don't you take Ethan to the kitchen and see if he wants something to eat or drink," he instructed his son so he and Carole could talk to the social worker in private._

_Once Kurt and the boy had left, Burt and Carole ushered the woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Sanders into the living room. After the woman had sat down she handed them a file with Ethan's information._

" _His name is Ethan Jacobs," she started to explain. "Nine years old, in third grade. We removed the boy from his family last night after investigating his situation."_

_Burt looked at her questioningly._

" _Some of his teachers noticed bruises on his arms and legs and didn't buy the old 'I fell' excuse because she had a bad feeling about his parents. The school alerted the authorities and we launched an investigation," Mrs. Sanders continued._

" _What … what was going on?" Carole asked looking a little green._

" _Ethan's father has been physically and emotionally abusing his son for years according to a statement from a neighbor. The father himself was shouting stuff about just teaching the boy how to be a proper man, when we came by the house last night. Thought he could change his son through violence."_

" _What about his mother?" Burt wanted to know. Didn't she do anything?_

" _When we talked to her she was pretty out of it but it seems that she didn't intervene as long as her boyfriend didn't hit her. She definitely neglected him, pawning him off to the neighbor most days. The neighbor had called us before but at the time there was no physical evidence, so unfortunately no action was taken against the parents."_

_Burt shook his head. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to have children._

" _Why us?" Carole suddenly asked and Burt thought that was a good question. Couldn't they at least have started off with an easier case? Maybe a kid with a parent in the hospital or something like that._

" _We were following your campaign closely and something you said about your relationship with your son stayed in our minds. How it took time for you to get where you are today. Being able to acknowledge past mistakes and a willingness to learn from them are exactly the kind of qualities we are looking for in foster parents. And there's also that the family suspected Ethan was gay. Now I know he's only nine so who knows, but I think staying with you and your son will be good for him regardless of what his sexuality will be. Maybe it will help him come to terms with his own and maybe it will just turn him into a tolerant teen. It's a win – win for us."_

_It might be a win – win for the government, but for their family he wasn't so sure. How were they supposed to take care of a child who had been abused by his parents when he spent most of his time in Columbus and Carole and the boys had classes and work as well?_

_He wanted to yell at Carole for doing something so stupid, but when he looked at her he saw her look happier than she had in a while, while at the same time looking worried. He knew Carole thrived on taking care of people and now that Ethan was in their house she wouldn't let him go._

_Burt sighed before he got up to announce he was getting Blaine's room ready for the boy. They couldn't give him the guest room because Ethan needed a desk for his homework and he would probably feel more comfortable in Blaine's room with all the posters on the wall than in their stylish guest room._

The last three days had been eventful to say the least. They had enrolled Ethan in a new school, because his old one was in another city, but the boy said he didn't care because he didn't have many friends anyway.

Carole was doting on him twenty-four seven, but Burt had noticed that Ethan always tried to keep his distance from him and Carole. He seemed to get along with Kurt best, but to his surprise he didn't seem to be scared of Finn at all, even though Finn was nearly twice his size.

Blaine and Finn had taken him to the park the previous day after being kicked out of the house by Kurt and Burt had no idea what they had done there, but they all came back with smiles on their faces.

Ethan's smile disappeared as soon as he saw Burt, but Burt tried not to take it to heart, because it was understandable that the boy didn't trust him or Carole just yet.

And now they were at Blaine's birthday party and Ethan was nowhere in sight. They had asked if he wanted to come down for the party and after Kurt had assured him that only a few friends from school would come by and that there would be cake, the young boy had agreed.

But it must have been too much for him, because no one had seen him for the past half hour. Finally, Burt discovered him hiding behind the living room couch, but when Burt came closer to try to get him to come out, the boy pressed himself up against the wall in an attempt to shield himself from Burt.

Burt was at a loss for what to do, but he knew they boy couldn't stay behind the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Carole was still busy in the kitchen, but he doubted she would be more successful.

Luckily, Kurt came into the living room that moment, and Burt swallowed his pride and asked his son to help out with the kid not for the first time in the past few days.

He backed away from the couch and before he knew it, Kurt had emerged from behind the couch with Ethan hiding behind him.

For now he was content to watch his son deal with his problems but he knew he had to find a way to gain Ethan's trust because Kurt wouldn't be around forever, but if it were up to Carole, Ethan would.

* * *

 

Once he had gotten Ethan out from behind the couch he called out to Blaine, telling him he'd take Ethan to the park for a bit. Blaine immediately got dressed as well, and Kurt felt a bit guilty for taking Blaine away from his party. He told Blaine as much, but Blaine brushed it off, saying this was more important and that Finn would make sure everyone was having a good time while he was gone.

Kurt really had the best boyfriend ever. Before he could stop himself, he had already leaned forward and had captured Blaine's mouth in a passionate kiss.

When they separated, Ethan was standing next to the front door, staring at them with wide eyes. Kurt blushed and quickly busied himself with first putting on his own coat and then checking that Ethan's was properly buttoned up. He had no idea what to say, so he figured if he just ignored it, it would go away eventually.

Blaine looked a bit flustered as well and he kept running his hand through his hair, a sure sign that he was nervous.

They were strolling through the park, while Blaine was looking for the ball Ethan had kicked away, when the younger boy stopped and looked up to him. "Is Blaine like your boyfriend?" he asked in a small voice.

Kurt nodded, not sure what kind of reaction to expect. He didn't know much about the boy because his parents were keeping Ethan's file to themselves. Maybe he had been raised by homophobes and shared their views.

What came out of Ethan's mouth though was, "Wow. You're so lucky. He looks just like prince Eric."

Kurt chuckled because finally someone agreed with him. He had tried to get Blaine into a prince Eric costume for Halloween before but Blaine was convinced he didn't look like the Disney prince at all.

Kurt was relieved that Ethan didn't outright hate him but he did notice his frown when he and Blaine started holding hands on the way back to the house. He brushed it off for now though, more intent on making Ethan feel comfortable in their home than worrying about one little expression.

If Ethan truly had a problem with him dating Blaine he would have reacted differently, wouldn't he? And if he had a problem, Kurt would just try to educate him. He was still young, so not all hope was lost.

* * *

 

Finn had been looking forward to spending a few days in New York, but when he saw how his new bro was acting around his parents he knew he couldn't leave him alone with the adults while he and Kurt were in New York.

He would have plenty more opportunities to go up there once Kurt went to college, right? And it would be neat to have a little brother to hang out with. He wasn't too excited about a baby, but a nine-year-old. That was cool. They could play ball and stuff.

Unfortunately Ethan was as much into football as Kurt was. He didn't really know how to play any of Finn's video games because he never had any before and when he was killed the fifth time in a row he threw the controller against the wall.

Finn decided it was time for plan B.

"So what kind of stuff do you like? Cars, action figures? I'm sure we have some of my old toys in the attic." Finn had made sure his mom didn't throw out all his stuff when they moved first into the new house in Austin and later to Lima.

Ethan shook his head. "I played dress up with some girls in the neighborhood when I was younger but they don't want to play with me anymore because they say boys have cooties.

Finn chuckled. Now that he was older he couldn't believe there had ever been a time when he thought girls were yucky.

"And you don't think so?" Ethan just shrugged and said nothing. Finn didn't really get the younger boy but that was okay. Kurt was a mystery most days as well and they got along well now.

"Any other toys you played with?" he asked again.

"My friend Carrie gave me a doll once but my daddy ripped her head off when he found her and he…" Ethan trailed off and Finn shuddered. He couldn't believe anyone could hit a child for playing with a doll.

"But you liked playing with the doll?" Ethan nodded shyly.

"Okay. You know what? My girlfriend has a younger sister. Why don't I give her a call and see if she can lend us some toys," Finn offered and the small for his age boy nodded enthusiastically, while looking at him like Finn had just offered him the moon or something like that.

Two hours later found Finn on the living room floor surrounded by Barbie dolls, Power Rangers action figures and Playmobile. They were busy marrying Barbie to the Red Ranger while the Playmobile figures functioned as the couple's children.

Finn had never thought he would play with dolls because growing up he was only interested in running around outside or staging fights with his action figures but he had to admit he was having fun playing with Ethan. He also started to wonder if Kurt had been like that when he had been younger.

By the time his parents came home from work, he and Ethan had just started their second Disney movie, the Lion King, and both were singing along to the songs.

However, as soon as Burt stepped into the living room, Ethan immediately stopped and curled up on the couch as if he was trying to hide himself from Burt.

"Hey, don't stop on my account. You sounded pretty good there, buddy," Burt told Ethan, but it was like Ethan didn't even hear him. Finn looked on helplessly not sure what to do.

His mom, however, saved the situation as always.

"Oh, I love this song," she exclaimed as the first bars of 'Can you feel the love tonight started. "Come on Burt. Sing with me."

Finn barley contained his laughter when he saw his dad's reaction, but one look at Ethan seemed to convince him that he better join his mom. They sounded horrible and Finn wondered again where he and Kurt had gotten their voices from, but it served its purpose as Ethan slowly uncurled himself and watched the scene with wide eyes.

Dinner was a lot more relaxed that night and Finn noticed the Ethan didn't flinch as much when someone reached for something on the table as he had done the past few days.

The next few days while Kurt was in New York went by in a similar fashion. Finn helped Ethan with his homework after school, glad that he could at least do elementary school math, and afterword they watched movies together, singing along when they knew the lyrics. Ethan still seemed scared around Burt and his mom, who had both taken the week off to be home with their new family member, but things were better than expected.

He could really get used to the role of cool older brother and he hoped Ethan didn't have to leave them anytime soon.

* * *

 

Carole was watching Finn and Ethan on the couch together when Burt came up to her.

"We need to talk," her husband told her and Carole stiffened because this was a talk she dreaded to have. They had been so busy trying to make sure Ethan was being taken care of that they hadn't had time to talk about her transgression yet.

Not wanting the kids to overhear anything they both put on their coats and went outside for a walk.

"I'm so sorry Burt for signing us up without talking to you beforehand, but I thought the paperwork would take forever and we wouldn't get a kid before the boys graduated from high school," she apologized after they'd been walking in silence for a few minutes.

Burt stayed silent and that was worse than him yelling at her. "Say something," she pleaded.

"I don't know what to say Carole. I thought we are a team. I'm not even that angry, more disappointed. You should have told me you wanted this so badly," Burt finally said.

There were a lot of things Carole could have said to that but she didn't want to cause an argument by bringing up old issues like Kurt first moving in with them and Burt never listening to her.

"I'm sorry," she said instead for the second time. She wasn't sorry for having Ethan with them though. The boy needed a stable home and she wanted to provide that for him.

"Just, what are we going to do? You know how much time I have to spend in Columbus and you have work and school as well. It isn't exactly fair to ask the kids to watch him all the time during their senior year," Burt worried and Carole had to agree that she shared his worries.

Because as much as Finn seemed to enjoy spending time with Ethan, who knew how he would react if he were forced into permanent babysitting duties. On the other hand…

"He's nine though so he has school till the afternoon anyway and maybe we can find an afterschool activity for him so the boys can pick him up once they are done with school. We'll find a way to make it work, because otherwise you are the one who's going to tell him we won't keep him," Carole threatened and her husband's eyes widened.

"Alright, he's staying. I'll try to be home more often and you and the boys work something out," Burt agreed and Carole wrapped her arms around him in the middle of the sidewalk no caring who could see them as she kissed him.

Later that night when they were in bed together, Carole put her book down and studied her husband. He still looked worried and she wanted to know what else was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" she finally asked. Burt sighed and put his own book down.

"What if I can't do it right? I pretty much abandoned Kurt when he was that age, so what if I screw up again?"

Carole scooted over and put her hand on his knee and squeezed it. "Hey, you're not that person anymore, okay? You're not going to try and force Ethan to be someone he's not and most importantly you would never hit him. That alone makes you a so much better choice that the boy's father. The rest, we'll figure out together, because just because I've done it before doesn't mean I'm an expert. Ethan is nothing like Finn was at that age, but it doesn't matter. We'll just have to give it our best," she assured her husband before turning off the light and getting ready for bed.

Yes it was scary to stumble into the situation unprepared but she knew they would deal.

* * *

 

Two days before they were scheduled to leave, Blaine got two letters from Yale and Harvard. Letters in hand he ran downstairs to his room as quickly as he could, anxious to open them. It wasn't like he wanted to go to either school, unless Kurt decided to go to school in Boston as well, but getting in would be great for his self-esteem.

After much deliberation he decided to open the one from Yale first because the school would definitely keep him and Kurt apart.

"Dear Mr. Anderson, we regret to inform you," the letter started and Blaine didn't read any further. Harvard was next and Blaine kept his fingers crossed the he would get a different answer.

Unfortunately Harvard seemed to agree with Yale, that Blaine Anderson wasn't good enough. He knew there were still plenty of other schools out there, but the letters got him down nevertheless, because if those schools didn't want him why would Columbia? True he still had to audition for the Columbia music program but what if they decided he sucked. Hell, Quinn had gotten into Yale somehow and he knew she had a slightly lower grade point average than him. If it wasn't his grades, it had to be him that sucked then.

He balled up the two letters and threw them into the trashcan because out of sight, out of mind, right? Blaine knew he should call Kurt and tell him about the rejections, but his boyfriend had enough on his plate as it was with a surprise foster brother and worrying about his own college auditions. No, he would tell him, when they came back from New York. Or when Kurt started hearing back from colleges.

Three days later, Blaine was alone in the hotel room he, Kurt and Rachel had rented. Kurt was in Boston with Mercedes auditioning for Berklee School of Music in case Blaine got into Harvard – and yeah, he definitely should have told Kurt about his letter from Harvard – and Rachel was at a piano bar that was rumored to be frequented by AMDA students to get some insights into the auditioning process.

He wasn't sure how he came to the decision but he realized he couldn't do it, because if he got rejected from Columbia after coming all the way to New York to audition for it, he didn't know what to do. He'd rather not risk the humiliation he decided. Maybe he could just come to New York with Kurt, get a job and play music in coffee shops until he got discovered. Stuff like that happened, right?

He quickly got dressed, checked that he still had his fake ID and looked up a few clubs online – no gay bars though because he didn't want a repeat of Scandals – before he headed out to forget about his worries.

Three gin tonics in at a club that took an obscenely expensive cover charge things were looking up. Who cared if he didn't go to college? Plenty of successful people had never been to college or had dropped out once they got discovered. He didn't need to waste thousands of dollars.

Three drinks later he wasn't feeling so good anymore though and Blaine got out his phone. He didn't want to call Kurt because it was late and Kurt was in another city and when he tried Rachel his call went straight to voice mail. He had one more option but he didn't really expect his brother to pick up the phone when he called.

Another hour later he was sitting in a small apartment, Cooper shared with two other 'actors', a cup of coffee in his hand as his brother tried to sober him up. Blaine had told him all about his worries on their way to Cooper's place because drunk people apparently really didn't have a filter and ever since they had gotten inside, his brother had done his best to get Blaine sober.

"Listen squirt, I'm all for dramatic scenes, but you're being stupid here. And a coward." Cooper announced once he thought Blaine was sober enough to listen.

Blaine glared at him. He hated it when people called him a coward because he had called himself one for a long time after his first transfer to Dalton before he understood transferring because his life was in danger was smart not cowardly.

"Am not," he shot back, clutching the cup of coffee a bit tighter. "Yeah you are. And you're going to regret it if you don't show up tomorrow and give it your best. You know how many times I have been rejected? And still I've never given up, because if you really want something you keep trying."

Blaine wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or if Cooper suddenly gave really good pep talks but he had to agree his brother had a point. He would probably regret it if he didn't give it a try. And what would Kurt say, who was auditioning for schools outside of New York in case Blaine didn't get into Columbia. No, his boyfriend deserved better.

He gladly accepted a glass of water and two aspirin before lying down on Cooper's couch, setting three alarms to make sure he would get up in time to go back to the hotel and shower before his audition.

It was time, after all, to stop running once and for all. If he had managed to stay when things got hard with Kurt he could do that as well.

 

* * *

 

Getting dropped off at a stranger's house was one of the scariest experiences in his life. He didn't want to be there. Yes, he didn't like it when daddy hit him, but his daddy always told him he deserved it so it must have been true. If he hadn't been naughty his mom would still love him and he'd be home in his own room instead of at this strange house.

The family seemed nice but so had his own family once. His neighbor had called the police once when she had heard daddy yell at him, but his daddy could be nice as well when he wanted and the police had left after a talk with his dad. They had probably agreed that he was a bad boy.

There were four people in this family. Two grown-ups and two teenagers and one of them was huge, but Ethan wasn't scared of him because he acted like a child himself and didn't threaten him.

His was scared of the father though because he was big and never smiled much. He liked Kurt the best, because Kurt would ask his opinion on anything, treating him like a real person. He was also wearing really weird clothes and he couldn't believe that Mr. Burt and Mrs. Carole let him leave the house like that. Not that he wanted to wear clothes like that, but he had been hit for less.

He was sure Mr. Burt was only nice now, but as soon as the social worker stopped coming by, he would surely show his true face and hurt Kurt just like his dad had hurt him.

Ethan wanted to like Mrs. Carole but he didn't trust her either. His mom had been nice once too, before she started saying horrible things to him even when he had done nothing wrong. He had to stay on the look out so he wouldn't fall into their trap.

At least he had a nice room that he was allowed to decorate himself. Kurt had told him that the room had been Blaine's once, and Ethan wasn't too sure what to think about the other boy.

Yes, he was fun to hang around with as well, because he, Kurt and Finn knew all the songs from Disney movies, but he was afraid Blaine would get Kurt hurt. He hadn't been lying when he had told them he was cool with them being boyfriends but his dad had always said what he thought didn't matter because it was wrong.

So he didn't like it when they were sitting next to each other on the couch or held hands because if Mr. Burt found out, Kurt would get punished.

His dad made it clear that liking other boys was wrong and would be severely punished. And if he was always wrong, his dad had to be right. He liked Kurt and didn't want him to get punished, so he made sure to sit down next to Kurt when Blaine was at the house so they couldn't sit together.

When they started talking about Valentine's Day, he had to do something to keep them safe. But he was also afraid they would get angry with him, if they found out what he was doing and kicked him out.

He didn't want to have to go to another house where he didn't know anyone, but if they found out how bad he was, the family wouldn't keep him. His father had told him the only reason he was keeping him was because he had to and no one in their right mind would willingly be around him. His lack of friends at his old school had been proof of that. No one wanted to hang out with him anymore once they had been to his house.

Still he had to risk getting into trouble if it would keep Kurt out of it. He had been listening to everyone in the house for the past days to find out what they had planned for Valentine's Day and decided to do what he did when he was younger and wanted the babysitter gone and his mom home.

Mr. Burt and Mrs. Carole had already left for a date and Finn had also gone out with his girlfriend. He was alone in the house with Kurt and Blaine, who he had promised to go to bed on time so they could have a date at home.

He put on his pjs when it was close to his bedtime and started rubbing his eyes until they were red. Then he ran downstairs into the living room where Kurt and Blaine were sitting much too close together on the couch. Both their hair looked weird when they looked at him and he knew he was interrupting something.

"I want my mommy," he wailed throwing himself at Kurt, who immediately put his arms around him and started rubbing his back as he tried to calm him down. Ethan just cried louder.

"Maybe we should call Burt and Carole," Blaine suggested and Ethan nodded into Kurt's chest.

Suddenly he was sitting on the couch next to Kurt who looked at him with a knowing smile.

"That won't be necessary," Kurt told Blaine and Ethan paled. Were they going to beat him up now for lying?

"I had babysitters once too," Kurt told him and Ethan looked down on his hands. "Want to tell me what this is really about? If you're uncomfortable being here with the two of us you can tell me."

Great, and now they thought he hated them.

* * *

 

Kurt had caught on early that something was going on with Ethan, but had hoped the younger boy would come talk to him about it. He had seemed okay with him and Blaine when he had caught them kissing on Blaine's birthday, but ever since he had been trying to keep Blaine and Kurt apart at home.

He was sure they could solve whatever problem Ethan had with them, if they would just talk about it. But from experience he knew that Ethan might close up when cornered, so he decided to wait until his foster brother was ready to talk.

On Valentine's Day, he and Blaine had shared a nice home-cooked meal – spending the night somewhere else wasn't really in the cards after the trip to New York – and had settled on the couch afterward to not watch a movie. He and Blaine both knew they couldn't do much with Ethan upstairs, but he would never pass up an opportunity to make out with Blaine on his couch.

When he heard the stairs creak in the hallway, he quickly untangled himself from Blaine and sat up next to him, to look semi-presentable.

Ethan appeared to be crying, but other than the red eyes, there was no indication that he was crying for real, and Kurt was reminded of the days after his dad had left and his mom left him with a babysitter from time to time. He had mastered fake crying pretty fast, because he was afraid his mom would leave him as well, but fortunately she always came back. Well, she had, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

After he had managed to convince Blaine that he didn't have to call Carole, and had calmed down Ethan, they all sat down on the couch together and Kurt waited for Ethan to start talking.

"Are you uncomfortable with Blaine and I being together?" he finally asked. "Is that why you are trying to sabotage our date?"

Ethan started crying for real now and Kurt quickly grabbed a tissue to clean him up.

"Yes. No. I don't know," Ethan sobbed. "I don't have a problem with you, I was just afraid you'd get hurt."

Kurt was touched that Ethan seemed to like him enough to want to protect him, but he had to make sure the younger boy understood there was nothing to be afraid of in their house.

"Who did you think was going to hurt me if I was with Blaine? My dad?" he asked to confirm his suspicions. Ethan nodded and Kurt sighed.

"Ethan, my dad isn't going to hurt me. Blaine and I have been together for a long time, and because Blaine's dad isn't the nicest man either, he even stayed with us for a while. My dad knows about us and is okay with it." The now was only added in his mind. No need to scare the boy even further.

Ethan was staring at Blaine with wide eyes. "You're daddy hit you too?" he whispered. Blaine immediately shook his head. "No but he said a lot of not so nice things to me and told me I couldn't live at home anymore. Carole and Burt let me move in here for a bit so I didn't have to live alone," his boyfriend explained.

"So you really don't get punished for liking another boy?" Ethan asked again.

Kurt smiled at him and took Blaine's hand into his own. "No I don't. And if it would make you feel better we can talk to my dad with you so you can see that you don't have to be afraid of him," Kurt offered and Ethan nodded eagerly.

"Are you feeling better now?" Blaine asked Ethan and the younger boy nodded again.

"Okay, Mister. Time for bed then," Kurt told Ethan before Blaine picked him up and gave him a piggy back ride up to his former bedroom.

Later that night, he and Blaine were snuggled up together under the covers, both deep in thought. Kurt suspected Blaine was thinking about his own father as well. Kurt had never been gladder that the worst his dad had done was move to another state when he was Ethan's age, because he had at least had his mom to love him and take care of him.

He was pulled out of his revelry, but Blaine pulling him even closer and nuzzling his jaw. "You know," he whispered into his ear. "I really like that my bedroom is occupied by Ethan now, because now we don't have to sneak around anymore to spend the night together.

Blaine's hand, which had been lying on his stomach, started slowly traveling further south and Kurt quickly stopped him before it arrived south of the equator.

"Blaine, we can't. Ethan is just down the hall and Finn should be back soon as well," he told his boyfriend as sternly as possible, but he knew it wouldn't take much convincing.

He turned around in Blaine's arms to look at his boyfriend, who was using his sad puppy dog eyes on him and Kurt felt his resolve weaken. "But it's Valentine's Day. I'm sure there is some law that you have to make your boyfriend happy on Valentine's Day," he whispered suggestively and Kurt let Blaine kiss his neck for a few seconds before pulling away again.

"But Ethan…" he started again, just to be cut off by Blaine's lips on his own. "Is in the bedroom down the hall, with Finn's between us and him," Blaine continued.

Kurt wiggled out of Blaine's embrace and pushed the covers back to get out of bed.

"Hey, no. Where are you going?" Blaine pouted and Kurt rolled his eyes at his horny boyfriend.

"To lock the door, because the last thing that boy needs is to walk in on us," he whispered back, before turning the lock and taking off his shirt on the way back to bed.

The shirt landed somewhere on the floor, but Kurt didn't care. After all he had his horny boyfriend waiting for him, with promises to make him happy.

* * *

 

It was a few days after Valentine's Day and the subsequent talk he, Kurt, Carole, Burt and Ethan had had when two letters from colleges arrived. To his surprise he had gotten into Stanford and Berkeley – the second one wasn't even on his grandfather's list but it was a good school so he had applied as well. He knew it was time to tell Kurt about Harvard and Yale, especially now that it was clear that Kurt wouldn't get invited to audition for UCLA.

"So why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kurt asked him later that night, as they were sitting on the couch in Kurt's former home.

"I don't know. You seemed kind of excited about auditioning for Berklee and I was afraid you wouldn't want to audition anymore if you found out Harvard already rejected me."

After Cooper had pep talked him into auditioning for Columbia, Blaine had sat down and really thought about the future. As much as he wanted to be wherever Kurt was, if Columbia didn't work out, he had to attend another college regardless of whether it was close to Kurt or not. They both had to do what was best for their future and he was afraid that he might start resenting Kurt somewhere down the line, if he gave up on an amazing opportunity because he went to New York to be with Kurt. He had to choose a college that would offer him a good education even if that meant going to school somewhere that wasn't New York.

"I agree. As much as I want to be with you next year, it isn't fair to either of us to give up on our dreams to make that happen. If it's meant to be it will happen," Kurt assured him and pressed a quick kiss to Blaine's forehead.

"So what do you propose that we'll do?" Blaine asked his boyfriend.

"Maybe we should wait till we have all our letters, and once we have made a decision we tell each other where we want to go," Kurt suggested and Blaine nodded.

It would be difficult having to sit there and hope that somehow he and Kurt had gotten into colleges close to one another and would choose those, but it was for the best. He didn't want to think they would ever break up, but if they did, at least it wouldn't be caused by resentment over following the other person somewhere they didn't want to go to.

"Deal," he told his boyfriend who gave him a hopeful smile before cuddling up to him on the couch so they could watch a movie before they had to head back to Kurt's house to relieve Finn of his babysitting duty.

Ethan apparently still didn't want to be home alone with Burt and Carole even after their talk, so Finn and Kurt were alternately staying home with him.

Blaine raised his eyebrow at Kurt when he saw which movie Kurt had chosen because they must have a least seen it twenty times.

"What. I only have two more hours with you and I want to make the most out of it," Kurt whispered suggestively and Blaine perked up.

"Why don't we go downstairs then?" he whispered straight into Kurt's ear. Kurt shook his head though to his chagrin. "Your mom and Santana should be back soon and I don't want to get almost caught again by either of them."

Yes, Blaine really wished he and Kurt would both get into college in New York, just so that they could get an apartment together and never had to worry about parents, roommates or siblings again. Seriously. What had he been thinking when he had told Kurt he wouldn't live with him for senior year? If he and Kurt didn't get into colleges in the same city, he had wasted a year they could have lived together.

* * *

 

Carole was checking that everything was spotless in her house for the third time when the doorbell rang and man close to her age was standing in front of the door when Carole opened it. She quickly ushered Ethan's newest social worker in before offering him some coffee and cookies.

"I'm sorry Burt isn't here, but he had to take care of something in Columbus. The boys and Ethan should be back from the park soon though," she told the man nervously. After all, he was the one who would determine if Ethan would stay in their house or if they would move him somewhere else if he thought they weren't doing a good enough job.

Luckily, Finn, Kurt and Ethan came back not even half an hour later, and Mr. Ryan went upstairs with Ethan to talk to him in private while Carole prepared some sandwiches for her boys.

When Ethan and Mr. Ryan came downstairs again, she sent Ethan into the kitchen with Finn and Kurt while she asked the man to join her in the living room again.

"Is everything okay?" she asked anxiously. Mr. Ryan nodded and smiled at her. "Ethan told me you're doing your best to make him feel comfortable here, that he likes your sons and doesn't want to go anywhere else at the moment."

Carole gave him a huge smile because that was great news. Ethan hadn't even been in their family for long and still she already knew she didn't want to see him go.

"Is there any chance he could stay with us for good?" she asked the social worker. "As in you're interested in adopting him?" Carole nodded. Of course this was something she had to talk to Burt about, but she really wanted to make Ethan's life better and she strongly believed that making him part of their family – if he wanted that – would be good for him.

"It really all depends on the court decision. The parents are given time to clean up their acts and court should decide in a few months if Ethan can be sent home again or stays in foster care. Should the parents sign their rights over to the state or the court decides the parents are unfit to care for a child, there is a possibility that you can adopt him. You shouldn't have too much of a problem. You're married and you've already successfully raised children so I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed to adopt him, if he stays in the care of the state," Mr. Ryan explained and Carole smiled even wider.

The rest of the social worker's visit was pleasant. Ethan even sat close to her for once and didn't look as distrusting of her as he had before and both Finn and Kurt were behaving themselves after she had told them how important it was that they left a good first impression.

She also started to worry though that she wasn't such a good foster parent after all because she got attached too fast. If she was already afraid of losing the first kid that came into their home, how would she handle having to see kids come and go on a regular basis.

It wasn't time to dwell on these things right now though. Right now she had to make sure Ethan felt safe and loved in her house. All other thoughts could wait.

* * *

 

Burt still had no clue how to bond with their newest family member even after they had had a talk about why Ethan was afraid of Burt and Burt had assured him that he was fine with Kurt and Blaine dating and no one in their house was getting punished for liking who they liked regardless of if that was a boy, a girl or both.

He also knew he made a lot of mistakes with Kurt when his son was that age that he didn't want to repeat so he decided to enlist Kurt's help. He just hoped it wouldn't open any old wounds when he talked to his son about his childhood.

He caught Kurt one afternoon surrounded by homework and decided now was the time to talk because Kurt looked like he could use a break anyway.

"Can we talk?" he asked. Kurt shut his math book with a bang and followed Burt into the living room.

"Now I understand if you don't want to talk about that with me, but I could really use your help," Burt started and Kurt looked at him curiously.

"Just spit it out dad." "Alright, I have trouble bonding with Ethan and I don't want to repeat any mistakes I've made with you. So could you tell me about situations when you were younger where you wanted me to act a certain way and I did the exact opposite."

Kurt squirmed in his seat for a few seconds before he nodded.

"You always tried to force me to play with toys you thought were appropriate for boys even though I hated them. You signed me up for sports teams without asking if that was something I wanted to do, because again you thought boys should play little league soccer and baseball. But what hurt the most was that you never came to my performances unless they were sports related. Mom used to tell me you couldn't get out of work when I had a piano recital or was in a school play but I knew you just weren't interested because you always took time off when I had a game."

Burt had no excuses for his behavior. Back then, he did think most of Kurt's after school activities were girly and boring and so he had never tried to get out of work for them and had instead asked Lizzy to record them. He also hadn't known it was that important for Kurt that he was there as well because he had always seemed to be closer to his mom, and growing up himself, he had only ever been upset when his dad couldn't make it to one of his games.

"Ethan, he likes singing those Disney songs with you, right? You think he might like to come watch you sing at Regionals?" he asked Kurt after a few moments of silence during which Kurt was studying his finger nails and Burt was deep in thoughts.

Kurt nodded. "I'm sure he wants to come. He likes listening to Finn, Blaine and I when we practice for glee."

Well, Burt could do that. Finn had already started borrowing different toys from his girlfriend's sister so that was covered as well, so all he had to do for now was make sure to ask Ethan about his hobbies so they could sign him up for after school activities he was actually interested in. Baby steps he told himself.

The last weekend of February found Burt, Carole and Ethan in the auditorium of a high school an hour away from Lima. He thought the first group was good and Ethan was bouncing up and down in his chair excitedly as well, but Carole tried to convince them that the group didn't have the best dancers and had even screwed up the words at some point.

The second group of the night was Kurt and Blaine's old school a cappella group the Warblers and Burt was glad to see that that horrible boy who wouldn't leave Blaine alone wasn't part of the group anymore. Kurt and Blaine sat down next to them during the Warbler's performance, both cheering on their former teammates even though they were competing against them.

Ethan was clapping enthusiastically as well when the Warblers finished and for the first time he was coming out of his shell when he was near Burt. Because of his previous behavior he had expected that the boy would watch quietly, not letting on how much he liked the performances but he was positively surprised.

"Do you like that? What those kids are doing?" he asked Ethan while they waited for New Directions to come on stage. Ethan nodded shyly, apparently still wary of Burt's reaction to the statement.

"Is that something you'd like to do as well? I'm sure your school will do plays from time to time," he prodded again. Ethan looked at him with wide eyes that reminded him so much of Kurt's when he was younger even though Ethan's were green and he had black hair.

"Can I learn how to sing like Finn and Kurt?" he finally asked and Burt smiled at him. "If that's what you want? You know you can ask for things that you like and we won't ever judge you whether you want to play football or learn to dance," Burt assured him.

Ethan looked at him puzzled. "Can't I do both if I like it?" he asked. Burt shouldn't be surprised anymore because nearly half of Kurt's glee club was on the football team as well and that one kid even got accepted into a dance school.

"What ever you want, but I want you to do something because you want to do it, not because you think I want you to. Deal?" he asked and offered his hand to shake after figuring that offering his fist for a fist bump might scare the young boy.

Ethan's face lit up. "Deal," he whispered and shook Burt's hand.

Later that night, Burt took his family plus Kurt and Finn's friends out to Breadstix to celebrate their win at Regionals. Both Kurt and Blaine were a bit sad that the Warblers had lost, but he understood that a second tie hadn't been very likely.

As always he ignored Carole and Kurt's glares when he ordered a double cheeseburger with fries, a beer and a milkshake for dessert. He wasn't feeling too hot after dinner, but he tried not to show it because he didn't want to ruin the first successful outing of his new extended family.

His body was probably just rebelling after having been forced to eat mostly healthy while he was at home, but he was sure it would settle as soon as he went back to his normal food in Columbus.

He knew Carole worried about his blood pressure and tried to get him to eat healthier but he wasn't even forty yet, so there really wasn't anything to worry about. Maybe when he was in his fifties he had to give up some of his favorites if his blood pressure was still up, but for now he enjoyed being able to eat whatever he wanted.


	10. March

When his college letters finally arrived early March, Kurt decided it was time for a long overdue sleep over with Rachel and Mercedes because if he couldn't open them with Blaine he wanted to at least have his closest friends with him. Rachel and Mercedes agreed to not open theirs as well until they got to Kurt's, so two days later they were all sitting together on Kurt's bed in their pjs a box of half eaten pizza next to them.

"So who's going to go first?" Rachel asked. Kurt shrugged. He didn't know if going first or last would be best.

"Let's just throw them all together and take turns reading them out loud", Mercedes suggested and both Rachel and Kurt agreed. Between the three of them they had nearly twenty letters because Rachel and Mercedes had applied to plenty of schools as well.

Once their letters were in a pile, Mercedes stuck her hand in and pulled out the first.

"So the first one is for Kurt from Berkeley. You applied to a school in San Francisco, Kurt?" she asked her eyebrows raised at Kurt. "What? Blaine and I applied to some of the same schools before we decided to go for the school we really wanted. Just read it to me," Kurt defended himself.

He wasn't surprised that he was accepted as he always had had good grades but he hadn't applied for a music program there and it had really just been another back up school in case Blaine decided to go to California.

Mercedes put it on the side of the bed where she wanted to put the yes pile and Kurt grabbed the next envelope.

"It's for Rachel from the Manhattan School of Music." Kurt quickly scanned the contents of the letter. "It's says they would love to have you but they have to wait list you for the fall semester. You'd have a guaranteed spot for spring though," he told her and Rachel's face fell a bit.

Kurt knew his best friend was ambitious and it sometimes surprised him that they were still friends when most of the time he, Rachel and Mercedes competed for the same things. Rachel had been confident that she would get into every school she applied for but Kurt knew that wasn't very likely. Different schools were looking for different things in people and while Rachel was an amazing singer, she – just like Kurt – wasn't the best dancer and some schools might not take her because of that.

Rachel quickly regained her composure and picked up the next letter. "Another one for Kurt," she said before reading the letter and Kurt cursed her poker face. It was the first important letter of the night for him as it was from AMDA – the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Once she was done reading Rachel looked up to him a sad smile on her face. "Sorry Kurt, but it's a no. They say you're welcome to apply again for second semester."

Kurt tried not to show how sad he was to get rejected and quickly moved on to the next letter. It probably made him a bad friend that he secretly felt happy for a second when Rachel got rejected by Julliard, his absolute dream school.

Mercedes got accepted into Berklee School of Music in Boston, her first choice, where she wanted to major in music therapy. All three of them got accepted into Ohio State, their back up school none of the three of them wanted to go to because although it was a great college, they all wanted to get out of Ohio.

Mercedes and Sam had already decided that they would give this whole long distance relationship thing a try if she got into a college out of state and Kurt hoped it would work out for them. Tina and Mike would be thrust into a long distance relationship as well because Tina was only a junior and Kurt was immensely grateful that Blaine had begged the Dalton headmaster to let him start as a freshman even though he missed a lot of school after he got beat up after a school dance in middle school.

Yes, there was the possibility that they would go to school in different cities but at least they would have shared experiences, as they were both in college.

Mercedes added two more letters to her yes pile but she had already made up her mind that Boston was it for her. To his surprise Kurt got an acceptance letter from Berklee as well and was even offered a full ride. Rachel on the other hand got a yes from AMDA and Kurt could feel jealousy rear its ugly head again because he was still waiting for a yes from a school in New York. Maybe he should have applied to NYU as a back up school as well.

The Manhattan School of Music put him on their waiting list as well, but Kurt wasn't surprised because he felt he could have done better on that audition. It had been his first and he had been incredible nervous. Nerves he hadn't been quite able to shake off until the end.

Finally they reached the most important letter of them all – Julliard – and Kurt decided he wanted to open this one himself.

He carefully slipped the letter opener through the flap and pulled out the piece of paper. He longed for a day where the thickness of a letter told you if you got in or not, but most schools nowadays only told you if you got in or not and sent you the rest via email. He was surprised they still got acceptance letters.

"Dear Mr. Hummel," Kurt read, "we regret to inform you that we can not guarantee you a place for fall semester 2012. However, we have put you on the waiting list and should other students decide not to attend you will be number six on the list. We are pleased to inform you though, that we can offer you a spot for spring semester 2013. Should anything change and we can offer you a place for the fall semester we will contact you immediately."

Kurt let the letter fall onto his bed and barely noticed how Rachel and Mercedes were basically fighting over it until he felt himself being pulled into Mercedes strong arms.

"You okay Boo?" she asked and Kurt nodded his head mechanically. "Sure, it's not the end of the world. Someone could still not attend and there are only five people in front of me on that list. And hey, Boston is pretty cool too. At least it has you," he told her willing his tears to stay away.

Yes, Boston was pretty cool and the music program was great as well, but it wasn't New York. And now that Blaine hadn't gotten into Harvard he would probably end up in New York and Kurt wouldn't. But it could be worse he reminded him again. At least Boston and New York were only a four-hour bus ride apart.

"I think that calls for some ice cream," Rachel exclaimed and Kurt wholeheartedly agreed. He was allowed to wallow in some self-pity, at least until he and Blaine got together to announce their final decisions. Then he had to be strong for both their sakes.

* * *

 

When Blaine had heard about Kurt's college letter opening sleep over he had decided that it would be nice to have someone with him as well when he opened his remaining ones. His friends on the Warblers were out though because those of them that were graduating as well had already heard back from colleges earlier this year and he wanted to share the experience with someone who had no clue about his or her future either.

That's how he ended up in Kurt's former bedroom with Santana. They had become good friends since she moved in and at least she wouldn't sugar coat things for him if the letters turned out to be a disaster.

"Okay, prep boy. Hand them over so I can see what preppy schools want to have you," Santana demanded and Blaine handed all his letters over to her, but only after she grudgingly handed him hers.

Santana treated opening the letters like ripping off a Band-Aid. She quickly divided them into yes, no and maybe piles before sitting back and looking at him expectantly.

Blaine gingerly picked up the small no pile. In addition to Harvard and Yale he had gotten a no from Dartmouth and Princeton. Dartmouth had never been a real option for him anyway because it was his father's alma mater and he wasn't too sad about Princeton either.

He decided to leave the lone maybe letter for last and turned his attention to the yes pile. The University of Pennsylvania quickly joined Cornell University and Brown University – which was Blaine's first choice if he couldn't get into a school in New York. He was ecstatic when he saw the acceptance letter from NYU but quickly discarded it because they didn't offer him a scholarship. NYU wasn't on his grandfather's list and unless he came into a lot of money the next couple of months, there was no way he and his mom could afford it, even with the money from the divorce settlement.

That only left one school and Blaine's smile dropped because he knew it had to be the maybe letter. It wasn't a no, but he still had held out hope that Columbia would accept him on his first try. At least he had a guaranteed spot for spring semester and if he didn't get in in August he would just have to find a job in New York for the first few months.

At least he and Kurt would be together now, because he was certain that Kurt had gotten into one of the schools he had applied for in New York, because his boyfriend was crazy talented.

He decided he would tell Kurt the "goodish" news when they went up to Columbus for the Katy Perry concert, his mom, Burt and Carole had gotten him tickets to for his birthday.

He was startled out of his musings by Santana who still hadn't opened her letters. "Do you want me to divide them for you as well?" Blaine asked her and she nodded, surprisingly looking anxious as well.

There were only three letters and he quickly put two into a yes pile and one into a no. Santana picked up the no first and quickly scanned the contents, before balling up the letter and throwing it into the direction of the trashcan.

"Never liked Chicago that much anyway," she mumbled. Blaine had been surprised when he saw she had applied to Northwestern but didn't comment on it because the other two schools had been a surprise as well.

One was from a college in Kentucky and when Santana caught his expression she immediately tensed up. "Coach Sue made me apply to this one, but I'm gonna be beyond happy if I never have to see a cheerleading uniform again,"

Blaine picked up the last letter and handed it over to her. "Than you're going to like this one. I'm pretty sure no one will wear a cheerleading uniform at this school."

Santana nearly ripped her acceptance letter to NYU out of his hand and gave him a huge smile. "Tish, huh?"

Santana nodded. "Though I'm not even sure I really want to major in theater or something like that. But it's great to know I got in. I can still change my major if I find something more interesting."

Blaine was happy that he would have another friend with him in New York, because even though he and Rachel got along, she was mostly just Kurt's friends whereas Santana and Kurt had gone back to bitching at each other after Santana moved out of the Hudmel house.

"So what are Brittany's plans?" he asked her after they had ordered a celebratory pizza. Santana stiffened for a moment and Blaine guessed it was a sore subject.

"She refuses to tell me. All she says is that we'll be together next year and not to worry, but I can't help but worry," she confided in him and Blaine quickly came up with a plan.

The next day at school, he and Santana stopped Brittany before she could leave the choir room after Glee rehearsal.

"Brittany, you kind of have to tell Santana where you have applied for college, because what if yours is in different city than Santana's," Blaine tried to convince the blond who looked at him confusedly.

"I haven't applied to college. I knew San would get into NYU because she is amazing and I was just going to come with her and be a dancer."

Both Blaine and Santana looked at Brittany in shock, but Santana's girlfriend wasn't done.

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to graduate because my grades really suck so I didn't think I would get into a college."

Santana suddenly started yelling in Spanish end even though Blaine only knew a little he knew that wasn't good. He quickly left the room to give the two girls some privacy and once out in the hallway he quickly sent out a sos text message to the glee club so they could come up with a plan to help Brittany graduate. They had done it before with Puck who was in danger of having to repeat his junior year, so they could do it again.

The glee club was a family after all and no man or woman got left behind.

* * *

 

Finn had hoped he could escape the whole college acceptance letter madness by inviting the boys over for a COD marathon. Mike and Sam had already heard back from colleges, so they had nothing new to talk about, Artie was only a junior and Puck didn't seem like the type of guy who would be interested in talking about college.

Kurt was upstairs with his girlfriends, Blaine was apparently busy with Santana and he had to admit he had totally forgotten about the newbies when he sent out the invite. His parents and Ethan also wouldn't be back for a couple more hours, so it was the perfect evening for mindless computer games to get his mind of the college thing.

Or so he thought until Puck, the traitor, started asking Sam if he was really going pre-med because that came kind of unexpectedly. Finn agreed with him on that one but didn't voice his skepticism because he didn't want to hurt Sam's feelings.

"Don't listen to Puck. I think that's awesome dude," he assured Sam. "Puck's just jealous because you are getting to go to college," Finn added, joking of course because Puck being jealous about colleges was kind of ridiculous.

"Who says I'm not going to college. If I want to expand my pool cleaning business I kind of need a degree and I really don't want to be a Lima loser forever. I want Beth to be proud of me when she gets older," Puck shot back and Finn raised his arms in surrender.

He had never met Puck and Quinn's daughter because that had happened while he was still in Austin, but he knew Puck was visiting his daughter from time to time. He just hadn't known Puck was considering going to college for her.

"Where would you even go?" he asked Puck, curiosity taking over, as he avoided getting killed by the zombies on the screen.

"University of Dayton," Puck announced. "And you should come with me dude. I know you got in as well." Finn didn't know how Puck knew it, but he was right. To his surprise he had gotten into college. He just wasn't sure if he was going because he had no idea what he should major in.

"I don't know. I was thinking I could just work for my dad until I figure out what I want," Finn told Puck before handing the controller over to Artie, who like the other boys, was listening to their discussion but was staying out of it.

"It's not like they expect you to tell them what you want straight away. Come on dude. The two of us would rule this place. I know you are with Sarah, but think about all the chicks. Older, experienced chicks."

Finn had to laugh when he saw Puck practically drooling over his controller. And maybe Puck was right. He would be missing out if he didn't go to college. Maybe attending would help him figure out what he wanted out of life and Dayton wasn't too far away from Lima. He could still work in the shop in his spare time or hang out with Sarah.

"Why not," he told Puck and was immediately forced to fist bump all the guys in the room.

"So where's Kurt going? Off to some fancy school?" Puck asked a bit later and Finn glared at Puck even though he knew that Puck wasn't trying to be mean.

"I don't know. They are opening their letters right now." Now that he thought about it, it was oddly quiet upstairs. He had expected some squealing.

"Doesn't sound like it's going well," Puck observed and Finn hoped Puck was wrong because Kurt deserved to get into the school he wanted after working so hard for it.

It was only a few minutes later when Rachel came downstairs and walked straight into the kitchen. Finn quickly followed her because he needed to know what was going on.

"Everything okay up there. Did Kurt not get in?" he asked once he spotted the ice cream in her hands. Rachel shook her head and Finn's face fell.

"He got wait-listed for the New York schools," she explained. Finn looked at her puzzled.

"That means other students have to decline their acceptance so Kurt can get in. He'll get in for sure though in January or he could go to Boston."

"Oh," Finn didn't know what to say to that. It didn't sound too bad for him, but Kurt was probably devastated.

"Can you let him know I'm here if he wants to talk," he asked Rachel who gave him a fond smile, one he would have obsessed over when he first moved to Lima.

"You are a good brother, Finn. Who knows what could have happened if you had been like that when we first met and I wasn't with Jesse."

Finn stared after Rachel as she made her way back upstairs to cheer up his brother before shaking his head to get the image out of his mind. It didn't matter. He was with Sarah, who he was in love in, and he and Rachel would probably never have worked out anyway because they wanted totally different things out of life. He and Sarah only worked so well, because she was younger and college wasn't an issue for them yet.

When Finn got back into the living room, he and Puck valiantly tried to reach the next level of the game, but again they failed.

"Don't sweat it dude," Puck tried to cheer him up. "We have four years of college to get there."

* * *

 

Ethan was sitting at the dining room table doing his homework when Burt came back from another two-day trip to Columbus. As expected, Ethan flinched when he saw Burt, but relaxed when Burt smiled at him and sat down as well after getting some soda for the two of them.

"Where is everyone else?" he asked the kid. Ethan only looked up briefly before focusing on his book again.

"Kurt and Finn have friends over and Mrs. Carole is shopping," he explained. Burt sighed. He and Carole had been trying to convince Ethan for weeks now that it was okay if Ethan called them Burt and Carole but the boy hadn't taken them up on the offer yet.

"You know, you can have friends over as well, if you want," Burt offered instead of commenting on the Mrs. Carole. Ethan shrugged. "Don't have any," he mumbled. "Yet", Burt tried to assure him. "Kurt didn't have a lot of friends either when he was your age and he has someone over all the time now. Just give it time, okay."

Burt got up to fix a sandwich and quickly stopped himself from squeezing Ethan's shoulder on the way to the kitchen because after all the progress they had made he didn't want to startle the kid.

Kurt had been a great help so far, and Burt was glad that his worries that Kurt might get jealous, because Ethan was getting treated like Kurt wasn't when he was a kid, were unfounded. Kurt had even laughed when Burt had asked if he was okay with Burt trying to make things right this time, assuring him he would never be jealous about something like that and that he was glad Burt was finally doing the right thing.

Once he finished making two sandwiches, Burt went back into the dining room and put one of the sandwiches in front of Ethan. "Go ahead, I'm sure you must be hungry," he told the young boy who immediately closed his book and dug in. They ate in silence while Burt was racking his brain for something else to say. Why was dealing with kids so hard?

"Have you made up your mind about afterschool activities?" he asked once they were done. Ethan pushed away his plate and fiddled with his pen and Burt gave him a reassuring smile.

"Maybe I could learn how to sing and dance and," he stopped there and looked at Burt as if to judge his reaction. "Go on," Burt encouraged him. "And I've always wanted to learn how to play football, but my dad said I was to small for that and the other kids would only laugh if they saw me," Ethan continued, his eyes back on his plate.

"Hey," Burt said causing Ethan to look up, "if you want to play football you'll get to play football. You're only nine, who says you won't be really tall in a few years. And even if you aren't, there's always the kicker, who is the smallest player on the field."

"Really?" Ethan asked with wide eyes and Burt nodded emphatically. "Really. I told you, you tell us what you want to do and we'll see if can't make it happen. All we care about is seeing you happy."

Burt hadn't even noticed Kurt coming downstairs but when he looked up, he saw Kurt standing in the doorway, a fond smile on his face. When he saw that Burt had spotted him, he gave Burt a thumbs up. Burt gave him a grateful smile before turning his attention back to Ethan, who was also smiling for once.

Later that night he told Carole about his conversation with Ethan and Kurt's approval. Carole gave him a proud smile.

"See, I told you you can do it," his wife told him and finally he was starting to believe her.

* * *

 

Carole was glad she and Burt were able to get along with Ethan better now, because there was something she wanted to talk to him about early – his parents' trial and a possible adoption. She knew that wouldn't be an easy talk to have, but one they needed to have.

Carole picked up Ethan after his voice lessons that day and together they drove to a small diner, Burt took Kurt to from time to time, where they ordered milkshakes and curly fries.

"So, how are you liking your new lessons?" Carole asked once they were seated.

"They are great, and I can't wait to start with football when it gets warmer," Ethan enthused and Carole was glad he looked so happy and was making plans for the foreseeable future.

"There's actually something else I need to talk to you about," Carole told him after they had finished their food, which had arrived before they could talk some more. Ethan looked up, a frown on his face.

"Is it a bad thing?" he asked, his voice small and Carole shook her head, even though she wasn't so sure about that.

"To be quite honest, I don't know," she told him then. "In a few months, there will be a trial where a judge will decide if you can go home to your parents or if you are going to stay in the system," she explained, not wanting to sugar-coat things. "How do you feel about that? Do you want to go back home?"

Carole hoped his answer was no because she didn't believe anyone could change that fast. Hell, it had taken Burt more than a few months to truly accept his son. On the other hand she also understood that the boy might want to be back with his parents, because it had taken Blaine a while to stop loving his father after he had been kicked out.

Ethan looked down on his empty plate before he spoke, keeping his head down. "I want my mom and dad to be nice again, so I can go home. I like staying with you because you don't hurt me, but you are not my mom and dad."

Carole squeezed his hand reassuringly because she didn't want to pressure him.

"But, but if they stay mean I'd like to stay with you if I can," Ethan continued still not looking at her, so Carole got up and sat down next to him, so she could pull Ethan into her arms.

"We'd love that. In fact, Burt and I might want to adopt you one day if you can't go back to your parents," she told him as the young boy pressed his head into her shoulder. Ethan looked at her in surprise. "Adopt me?"

"That just means that you could stay with as long as you'd want, as part of our family," Carole explained and she saw a few tears trickle down Ethan's face.

Ethan was subdued the rest of the day but Carole decided to give him some space to deal with the information she had dropped on him. It couldn't be easy for the boy who clearly loved his own family still, to hear that a court would decided whether he could live with them again or whether he had to keep living with strangers.

She just hoped that should his parents not come around, Ethan would decide he wanted to stay with them.

The young boy looked happier again the next few days, and another visit with Ethan's social worker went well, but Carole could tell there was still something that was bothering him.

Finally, she couldn't wait any longer for him to come to her, so she sat down next to him on his bed before tucking him in. "You want to tell me what's been bothering you?" she asked, as she fluffed his pillow and smoothed his hair.

Ethan shook his head first but then nodded shyly. "This trial thing, do I have to be there?" he asked and Carole looked at him sadly.

"Yes, because they want to hear stories about your parents from you. But you won't have to do that in front of other people, okay? And you have to be honest. You are not allowed to lie to a judge even if you want to protect your parents so you can come home with them. Everyone is just trying to protect you," Carole explained, hoping she would get through to him, because the only way Ethan was going back home, was because his parents had truly learned their lesson, not because Ethan lied for them.

"Okay," Ethan whispered as he let Carole tuck him in. Carole's heart broke for him not for the first time, but there was nothing she could do but be there for him.

"Can you come with me when I have to talk to the judge," Ethan stopped her, just before she could turn off the light and left the room.

"If you want me to, of course," she promised, hoping that was allowed. Ethan had a small smile on his face when he closed his eyes and Carole smiled a bit as well. She would do anything to make sure the smile stayed on his face.

* * *

 

Finn had been surprised when he had gotten a text from Blaine asking the New Directions for help to make sure Brittany was graduating with them. Out of everyone in their year he was sure that he and Puck had been the ones most in danger of not making it, but not Brittany, because wasn't she like part of the Brainiacs?

He wasn't sure how much he would be able to help because he would still be struggling himself if Sarah wasn't still helping him, but he had to at least show up for moral support.

The group had decided to meet in the choir room a few days later to come up with a game plan. Finn was proud that he was the one that suggested a plan that would actually work because he knew he wasn't the brightest tool in the shed himself.

"Why doesn't each of you help her with a subject you are really good in?" he had suggested before he had added. "And maybe anyone else who needs help in that subject could join as well – you know like a study group."

A few days had passed since, and Finn was happy that everything seemed to be working so far. Monday afternoons, Sarah, Brittany, Puck, Finn and Mercedes met to study Math together, Tuesdays were reserved for Spanish led by Santana, a group Finn joined as well, Wednesday Kurt took over for French, Thursday's English group was led by Quinn and Blaine and on Friday's Mike helped anyone who needed help with Chemistry and Physics.

With their new plan in motion, even with Glee practice and other after school activities everyone only had to invest an hour or two every day to get everyone in ND to graduate High School.

Not for the first time, Finn wondered if his old friends would have done something like this for him or anyone else in their group of friends. Finn also had to admit, that as much as he didn't like school, studying together was fun, and he got more done than in his one – on – one sessions with Sarah – but probably because they didn't make out when other people were around.

Later that night, when his mom sunk down on the living room couch, after instructing Burt and Ethan to get semi-healthy take out, Finn sat down next to her.

"I don't know if I've ever said it before, but thank you for making me move here," he told her. His mom looked at him in surprise but there was a smile on her face.

"I don't want to say I told you so, but I did tell you I change would be good for you." Finn had no reason to argue.

"You're right, mom. Now, I have friends because they like me for who I am, I'm finishing high school with decent grades and I'm even going to college even though I didn't get a football scholarship," Finn listed his accomplishments.

His mom's smile grew even bigger and at first Finn wasn't sure what had cause it.

"You are?" his mom exclaimed happily. Finn looked confused before he realized he had just spilled the beans about his new plans.

"Yeah, Puck convinced me to go to U Dayton with him," Finn explained before finding himself with an armful of his mom.

"I'm so happy to hear you say that Finn. College will be good for you and you can always come home if you want to, okay?" There were tears trickling down his mom's face and Finn hugged her tight.

There was no better feeling in the world than making his mom proud after all.

* * *

 

"I can't believe we're actually going to see her live," Blaine exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the couch in Burt's Columbus apartment where he and Kurt were going to spend the night after the Katy Perry concert, Burt, Carole and his mom had gotten him and Kurt tickets for.

"And if you break your neck falling off the couch you will never," Kurt answered dryly and Blaine immediately stilled. "Don't even joke about that. And it would totally be your fault because you were taking so long getting ready for dinner. There wasn't anything else I could do," Blaine defended himself.

His boyfriend just rolled his eyes but he had a fond smile on his face. "Well, I'm ready now, so lead the way kind sir."

Blaine immediately jumped off the couch and put on his jacket before grabbing Kurt's hand and basically dragging him out of the apartment. He had found a restaurant close to the venue the concert was being held at and he hoped people there would be as tolerant of him and Kurt as the other restaurants they had visited before in Columbus had been.

When they reached the restaurant and approached a waiter, Kurt tried to let go of his hand, but Blaine only gripped it tighter.

"I have a reservation for Anderson," he told the first waiter he came across. The waiter told them to wait by the bar for a moment while he checked their reservation and Kurt and Blaine both looked around the restaurant.

It was clearly a date restaurant, most tables occupied by couples who were fortunately too busy focusing on their partners to give them any attention.

"There's seems to be a slight mix up," the waiter told them when he came back. "There seem to be two reservations under Anderson, but if you follow me, I'm sure we can sort something out."

Blaine nodded. Anderson was a common last name so it wasn't surprising that the restaurant had more than one reservation under that name.

He and Kurt followed the waiter who approached a small table in a corner where a man and a woman were seated. Blaine couldn't see the man yet, other than his graying hair, but his companion looked like the poster child for plastic surgery even though she couldn't have been older than twenty-five.

"Excuse me, sir," the waiter approached the table. "It's seems like my colleague might have given you the wrong table. If you could follow me, a round of drinks is on the house of course."

Blaine was too far away to hear what the man was saying to the waiter, but judging by the look on the waiter's face it hadn't been very nice.

"Let's just take their table," Kurt whispered into his ear but Blaine shook his head. He had specially requested a table in the back, so he and Kurt could have a romantic dinner without anyone bothering them.

In front of them, the couple stood up and suddenly Blaine found himself face to face with a man, he had hoped to never see again if it could be avoided.

"Blaine," his father's voice showed that he was surprised as well to see him there. "Father," Blaine answered trying for polite. The blond Barbie suddenly perked up next to his father and hit him lightly on the arm.

"Jarred," she drawled. You didn't tell me you had two so handsome sons." His father glared at him. "He's not my son."

A year ago, Blaine probably would have flinched if his father had said those words, but now he wasn't even faced. "That's just well enough, because I don't consider you my father. I'm so much better off without you," he answered calmly which seemed to enrage his father further, apparently forgetting that they were not alone.

"You ungrateful little shit. I can't wait for the day you graduate high school so I'll never have to give you a cent ever again. And don't you come crawling back, when you find your useless ass out on the street."

Blaine could feel Kurt tug on his hand and his father's date looked uncomfortable as well, but Blaine just chuckled.

"Don't worry father," he said, making sure father came out as sarcastically as possible. "Grandfather made sure I won't ever depend on you for college."

That wiped the smile right off his father's face. "Don't tell me one of those schools was stupid enough to admit you," his father's voice rose and Blaine was sure all eyes in the restaurant were on them, but he couldn't care less. Not with Kurt by his side and him finally standing up for himself.

"Oh not just one. In fact, I'm going to attend Brown this fall," Blaine announced proudly. His father looked like he was going to be sick and Blaine gave him a triumphant smile because he knew how much his father valued Brown. It had been his grandfather's alma mater and Blaine knew how pissed his father had been when he hadn't been able to get in when he was young.

"Now if you excuse me, Kurt and I are on a date, so if you could please move, so we can have our table," Blaine said trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. His father finally seemed to realize that Blaine was not alone because he was suddenly shooting daggers at Kurt.

"You are still with him? Seriously Blaine, why don't you get it over with and date a real girl? You are already half way there." His father's date looked shocked before she grabbed her coat and announced she would wait for him outside. Blaine balled his hands into fists, forgetting he was still holding Kurt's for a moment.

"Let it go," Kurt told him as he rubbed his thumb over Blaine's knuckle in an attempt to calm him. "He is not worth it, okay? Let's just eat, watch the concert and than head back to my dad's empty apartment." Kurt said the last part loud enough for his father to hear but not for everyone else and his father took a step forward, balling his own hands into fist.

"You little faggot. If it weren't for you, Blaine would still be…" His father never got to finish his sentence though, which Blaine thought was good for his father's face because he had come close to wanting to hit him, because suddenly the manager showed up.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We do not tolerate this kind of language in our establishment."

If his father had been a cartoon character, smoke would be coming out of his ears by now, Blaine realized. His father's face was red and he was looking murderous when he realized that the manager meant him.

His father shoved through him and Kurt, disconnecting their hands for a moment and exited the restaurant without another word.

"I'm so sorry for that. I'd offer you drinks on the house, but you seem to be underage, so please order any dessert you want free of cost."

By the time they were seated Blaine was exhausted. Kurt was fiddling with his napkin as well and Blaine could only guess what was wrong but apparently he was wrong.

"So, Brown, huh?" Kurt finally spit out what was on his mind. Blaine looked puzzled for a moment before he remembered telling his father about Brown – before he had had a chance to tell Kurt. They had planned to reveal their final choices during their weekend in Columbus but he had hoped it would be under better circumstances.

"Can we not right now? I promise we'll talk about it, but after the concert. Right now I just want to enjoy this meal with you and get ready for Katy."

Kurt didn't look like he wanted to wait any longer but agreed nevertheless.

"Thank you. Now, how about that dessert?"

* * *

 

The concert had been better than Kurt had thought because, as he readily admitted, he was more of a Lady Gaga person. But he still couldn't enjoy watching Blaine bounce excitedly up and down while mouthing the words to the songs as much as he wanted because his mind kept bringing him back to Blaine's college decision.

Still he couldn't stop himself from smiling widely when Blaine turned to him during 'Teenage Dream' and sang right at him. He had to enjoy the time he had with Blaine while it lasted.

Later that night, the two of them were snuggled up together on his father's couch, Kurt playing with the curls that had sprung free during the concert.

"So Brown?" he asked again and Blaine nodded. "I got waitlisted for Columbia and though NYU accepted me they didn't offer me a scholarship or anything so I can't really afford to go there unless I want to be in debt until I'm like forty," his boyfriend explained.

Kurt didn't know what to say. At least he wasn't the only one who got waitlisted for their dream school. "How about you? Will you wait for me in New York until I can join you?" Blaine's question brought his focus back to the present and Kurt shook his head. He quickly explained though when he saw Blaine's face fall.

"Hey, none of that. You know I'd wait for you forever. It's just, I didn't get into school in New York either. I got waitlisted for the Manhattan School of Music and Julliard, and AMDA was a no. I can either wait till January to start at Julliard if I don't get in now or go somewhere else."

Blaine looked genuinely surprised to hear that which made Kurt feel better, knowing that his boyfriend believed in him that much.

"Where would somewhere else be?" "Boston. I got offered a full ride to Berklee," Kurt told Blaine who immediately seemed to mentally calculate the distance between Boston and Brown before pulling out his phone and googling it.

"You know, that's not even that bad," Blaine announced once he had the answer. “Providence and Boston are only like an hour apart. If we both go to schools outside of New York at first we would be closer than if you had gotten into Julliard and I only into Brown."

"So what are we going to do if New York isn't going to happen this fall? Stay home for another few months or just go to New York anyway and get jobs?" Kurt asked running through all the possible scenarios.

"I think we should both go to college as soon as we graduate and try to transfer to New York schools as soon as we can, if this is still what we want when the time comes, because the sooner we finish college the sooner our lives are really going to start, don't you think."

Kurt snuggled up even closer to Blaine and kissed him softly. "I think you are right. And if I bring my car we will be closer to each other than we were when you were still living at Dalton and I went home for the weekends. I'm sure we'll be able to make it work," he promised his boyfriend in between kisses.

"And this way we totally get the whole college experience for a bit – you know living in dorms and stuff," Blaine suddenly sounded a lot more excited than he had before. Kurt just rolled his eyes.

"Two years of living in the Dalton dorms and this is what you are looking forward to?" he teased but Blaine nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, because at Dalton we were somewhat supervised. In college I could let you sleep over and no one could say anything apart from my roommate. And think about the parties. We'd just have to alternate spending one weekend at your school and one at mine."

Blaine's excitement must have been contagious because soon Kurt could see it as well. They'd spend the week focusing on school before spending all their time together on the weekends. And one hour really wasn't the end of the world.

"You promise, we are going to be okay?" he asked again nevertheless. Blaine pulled him close, his hand cradling his jaw as he whispered, "I promise."

The rest of the night passed in laughter instead of tears, careful touches instead of arguments. Kurt had dreaded the conversation but now that they had had it, he knew it had been stupid to assume something like college and distance might break them. They were a team, and Kurt had no intentions of ever letting Blaine go.

* * *

 

Burt was back in Columbus for a full week this time, because there was a lot of work to do and it made more sense to just stay there. The apartment had been like he left it fortunately, but he hadn't really expected Kurt and Blaine would host some wild party anyway.

Luckily, Carole had already had all her midterms and could stay home during Ethan's spring break, which unfortunately wasn't the same week as the boys. So Burt didn't feel too guilty when he sat down on the couch after a long day of arguing over some bills, with a meatlovers pizza and few beers. It was great being able to eat and drink whatever he wanted again, even if it was just for a small amount of time.

His secretary – and he still couldn't believe he had one of them – greeted him with a cup of coffee and a bagel the next morning like she always did and Burt quickly took both of them into his office to have his second breakfast there.

He hadn't been able to catch much sleep the night before, his body apparently unwilling to settle down, so by the time lunch break came around, Burt was on his fifth coffee. He declined the invitation of a colleague to check out a new vegetarian restaurant and crossed the street to a dinner where he was a regular by now.

"Double cheeseburger with extra majo and chili fries?" Martha his favorite waitress asked and Burt nodded before telling her to throw in a slice of cake as well. He finished his meal and a few cokes quickly before heading back to his office.

Suddenly it felt very hot in there and Burt struggled to open one of the windows. But even though the cold March air soon flooded the room, Burt still felt his chest tighten and he struggled to breathe.

Before he could do anything else, everything went black.

When he opened his eyes again, he was on his office floor, his secretary frantically trying to shake him awake.

"Thank god, Mr. Hummel. I was about to call an ambulance."

"What happened?" Burt asked groggily. "I don't know. I heard a noise and when I checked you were on the floor," his secretary answered.

Burt took the offered hand and sat down on the chair reserved for visitors.

"Can I leave you alone for a few minutes so I can call you a doctor?" the kind woman asked and Burt shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I feel a lot better already." That was a lie, but Burt had enough of doctors trying to tell him what he could and couldn't do. Unfortunately, his secretary didn't listen to him and thirty minutes later a young looking doctor entered his office.

After having his blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked and answering all the doctor's questions, Burt rolled down his sleeves and waited for the verdict.

"It's probably just stress," he tried to brush it off. "We recently became foster parents, so I've been really busy lately."

The doctor gave him a sympathetic smile before looking at him seriously.

"Mr. Hummel. I am quite worried about your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels. You see, there are HDL and LDL when it comes to cholesterol. The first one is good and the second bad and you have way too much of the second one. If you don't start watching your diet, you might be well on your way to a cardiovascular disease. In laymen's terms: You might suffer from a heart attack if you keep going the way you are now."

Burt looked at the doctor in doubt. He was only thirty-nine years old. Thirty-nine year olds didn't have heart attacks. That was for old people.

"Thanks for your concern. I'll try to do better," he told the doctor, not being very sincere however. He was not about to give up everything he liked just because he might have a heart attack one day.

He had been gaining a little weight though since he got his apartment in Columbus, so maybe it was time to stop eating fast food more than once a day.

He wasn't too worried about his health, but didn't want to come back to his wife totally out of shape once his term in office was over.


	11. April

It was bittersweet preparing for Nationals this year, Kurt thought. He was ecstatic that they had managed to qualify for the competition again, but he was also constantly reminded that it would be their last as a team. Most of New Directions was graduating come May, but he was sure that Tina and Artie would lead the new New Directions well. And with Ms. Corcoran deciding to stay another year at McKinley, he was hopeful that they would do well even without all the seniors.

They were going to Nationals as a team and they would perform as a team. They had of course backup numbers like they had had for every competition, but neither the chosen ones nor the back up number were anything other than group numbers. Ms. Corcoran had decided that for their final performance as a team, there wouldn't be any solos or duets so they could all share a stage one last time.

Kurt was happy with this decision. After all, having a solo or not wouldn't have any impact on college applications anymore. He and Blaine had both accepted their spots in Boston and Providence and were now waiting to hear back from their first choices.

New Directions started their celebrations before they even got to Chicago and turned their bus into party central until the bus driver threatened to make them walk to Chicago if they all didn't sit down immediately. But even seated they kept celebrating – the impending end of their high school careers, getting to Nationals for the second time in a row, and Brittany being on track to graduate with the rest of the seniors. It seemed like winning at Nationals wasn't as important anymore as it had been in the past. Getting to share the experience with all their friends was more important now.

"You know, with so many of us going to the east coast we should try to get together at least once a month," Rachel suggested before continuing to chat everyone's ear off about AMDA.

Kurt had made his peace with not getting into the same school as Rachel and could now be really happy for his best friend. And if Julliard didn't work out in the fall, he would at least have Mercedes with him.

Next to him Blaine was listening to their song selection on his iPod, Michael Jackson's 'Black and White', My Chemical Romance's "Sing' and Fun's 'We are Young', all three of which Kurt found fun to sing. Blaine had his eyes closed and was mouthing the lyrics to the song as Kurt looked at him fondly. Whatever happened during the next months with college, Kurt was never going to say goodbye to this boy.

He knew he would miss everyone terribly but as long as Blaine was somewhere close by he would be okay. He knew it was probably wishful thinking to assume they would all always be as close as they were now, but one was allowed to hope.

Three hours later the bus arrived in Chicago and Ms. Corcoran gave them the rest of the morning off to explore the city as long as they were back at the hotel in time for check-in.

Blaine had been in Chicago before and so Kurt gladly followed his boyfriend around, but was disappointed they didn't have enough time to go shopping on Michigan Avenue. They took pictures in front of Buckingham fountain, which Kurt recognized from reruns of 'Married with Children' and went on a walk through Grant Park before heading back to their hotel, which was close to the Sears Tower. Kurt couldn't for the life of it remember its new name.

Unfortunately, Ms. Corcoran put him into a room with Finn, while Blaine was put with Mike. Coming in 7th the previous year had gotten them some donations, so they did have enough money for more hotel rooms. Kurt was prepared to just switch as soon as they got their room keys but their chaperone Ms. Pillsbury, the former choir teacher's former girlfriend, followed them up to their floor to make sure everyone went to their own rooms.

Kurt didn't have time to come up with a plan that would get him and Blaine into the same room, because as soon as they had dropped their suitcases off, they had to go back downstairs for another dance and vocal rehearsal. Close to dinnertime they were finally released and Kurt rushed back upstairs for a much-needed shower while Blaine and Finn were watching TV.

Before jumping into the shower, he sent a quick text to Carole, telling her that they arrived safely in Chicago and were having a good time. He nearly missed his phone ringing over the sound of the shower, but quickly shut off the water when he saw that Carole was calling him.

"Hey, Carole. It's nice of you to call but you really don't have to check up on us," he joked but was met with a sob. "Carole?" he asked tentatively. "Is something wrong?”

"I'm so sorry Kurt, but it's your dad. He was rushed to the hospital in Columbus because he had a heart attack."

Kurt froze. This couldn't be happening again.

"Please tell me he is okay?"

"I don't know yet. I just got here. I'm sorry for not calling earlier but I didn't even think about that. I know you have a competition tomorrow, but I needed to let you know."

Kurt's mind was racing. He had to get to Columbus because what if his dad didn't make it. He couldn't be on a stage singing happy songs while his dad might be dying hundreds of miles away.

"We're coming down," he announced because he wouldn't be able to stay in Chicago one second longer.

"Kurt, honey. There's nothing you can do right now. How would you even get here?"

He could think about that later. First he had to tell Finn and Blaine.

"We'll find a way," he told his stepmother before hanging up the phone and wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Dude, clothes," Finn exclaimed when Kurt stepped out of the bathroom, but Kurt ignored him.

"Grab your stuff - we need to leave!" Both Blaine and Finn looked confused.

"Now," Kurt yelled before rushing over to his suitcase, dropping his towel unceremoniously to hastily get dressed.

His socks were two different colors but Kurt didn't care. Behind him, the boys finally started moving as well and Blaine approached him slowly.

"What's wrong Kurt?" A treacherous tear was rolling down his face and Kurt wiped it away furiously.

"Dad. He is in the hospital. Heart attack," he forced out. "We need to get to Columbus."

Finn's face fell as well and he dropped his duffel bag before sinking down on his bed.

"We don't have time for that now, Finn," Kurt yelled again before storming out of the room and heading over to the room Ms. Corcoran had said was hers.

When she didn't open on the first knock, Kurt started pounding his fists against the door until his robe clad teacher opened, looking at him in alarm.

"Kurt?"

"We need to leave. Finn, Blaine and I. My dad is in the hospital."

Ms. Corcoran looked shocked.

"I, the bus driver went back to Lima and we don't have enough chaperones for me to drive you. I don't, I..." Kurt didn't let her finish.

"We are all eighteen. We get a car. I just thought you should know," he told her. Before he left, he turned again. "Tell the others we are sorry, but we can't stay."

"They'll understand," Ms. Corcoran answered. " I, I..."

Kurt didn't hear whatever else she had wanted to say as he made his way back to his room where Finn and Blaine were already waiting for him.

* * *

 

They had taken a cab to the nearest car rental place and after Kurt had signed a waiver agreeing to pay an additional twenty-five dollars a day for being under twenty-five, Blaine sat down behind the wheel because both Kurt and Finn looked to shaken to drive, although he would have preferred to sit in the back with Kurt to comfort him. As it was, the two brothers had to take care of one another.

He was feeling pretty bad as well, even though he wasn't strictly family, but new and improved Burt had been the closest to a proper father he had ever had. But now wasn't the time for him to freak out as well. He had to get them to Columbus first.

Traffic was terrible for the first fifty miles, but once they were further away from Chicago, it eased up fortunately. Taking his chances he drove fifteen to twenty miles over the speed limit, hoping he wouldn't get pulled over at some point. He was just glad that this year's Nationals were being held closer to home, because it would have taken them nearly double the amount of time to get to Ohio from New York if they had to drive.

They only stopped once, somewhere in Indiana, for coffee and a bathroom break and Blaine held Kurt in his arms for a few minutes ignoring the looks some people gave them at the truck stop, before offering a hug to Finn as well, who accepted it immediately. Burt might not have been Finn's dad by blood, but he was the only father Finn had ever had, so Blaine understood why he needed to be comforted as well. He was sure Kurt would react the same way if it were Carole who was in the hospital.

By the time they crossed into Ohio, Finn and Kurt were both asleep in the backseat even though it was only eleven o'clock. Blaine plugged in his iPod, turning the music low, because he didn't want his mind to wander. Burt just had to be okay, because he didn't want to see Kurt go through the loss of a parent so young again. His own father might be dead to him, so to speak, but he knew he would still be sad on some level if he died suddenly.

Once he got into Columbus, Blaine drove by Burt's apartment first because he knew Ethan had to be with Carole, but when after a few minutes of ringing the bell no one answered, he got back into the car and drove over to the hospital.

The parking lot wasn't crowed thankfully and so he found a spot close to the main entrance. After putting the car into park, he walked around to the back seat and gently shook Kurt awake. Finn needed more force, but as soon as the two of them realized where they were, they hurried out of the car and followed Blaine into the hospital.

Blaine had texted Carole when they were on the way and she had told him where she and Ethan could be found in case they were still in the hospital. The three of them took the elevator up to the third floor and followed the signs for the Intensive Care Unit. Blaine was worried about Burt being moved to the ICU, but at least that meant that he was still alive.

Carole and Ethan were both asleep in the waiting room when they found them and Finn immediately ran over to his mom, shaking her awake. Blaine couldn't hear what he was saying, staying a bit back to give the family some privacy, but went closer when Carole called his name.

"Blaine, honey. Can you sit with Ethan while I see if I can't get Finn and Kurt to see their father?" she asked and Blaine nodded before he sat down next to Ethan.

"I'm scared," Ethan mumbled once they were alone. "I'm not allowed to see him and I'm scared that he will die before I can tell him that he is a good person."

"I'm scared as well," Blaine admitted, "but Burt is strong. We'll just have to have a little faith."

Ethan snuggled up to him and Blaine put his arms around the young boy.

"I don't want Uncle Burt to leave. Everyone always leaves me," he whispered into Blaine's shoulder and Blaine tightened his hold.

Throughout his life he had to deal with his own abandonment issues and he hoped things would work out better for Ethan.

"Hey, even if something happens to Burt, you'll still have us. Finn is staying in Ohio and Carole never wants to let you out of her sight. And Burt would never leave any of you by choice either," he tried to comfort Ethan as best as he could.

They sat in silence after that until Ethan's breathing evened out. Carole, Finn and Kurt were back a few minutes later and Blaine stood up, careful not to wake Ethan, and pulled a teary Kurt into his arms.

* * *

 

Carole had been looking forward to spending some time alone with Ethan while the boys where in Chicago and Burt was in Columbus. She would have loved to come with them again, but the kids were performing early Friday morning this year and she knew she couldn't just take Ethan out of school for it or leave him with a stranger. Burt was busy as well, so she was hoping someone was video taping the performances so she could still see her boys perform.

She had the whole Thursday afternoon planed out, the games she wanted to play with Ethan and the cookies she wanted to teach him how to bake. What she hadn't planned was rushing to Columbus after a call from Burt's secretary, informing her that Burt had collapsed in his office for the second time in a few weeks and was on the way to the hospital with a suspected heart attack.

Getting to Columbus had taken longer than she would have liked with people driving home from work and a car crash slowing down traffic on the interstate. Ethan sat next to her clutching a stuffed animal while staring out of the window.

"Is uncle Burt going to die?" he finally asked and Carole gripped the wheel tighter.

Burt's secretary had followed the ambulance to the hospital and was giving her as much information as she could, but all Carole knew at that point was that Burt had been taken to surgery so they could fix a suspected blockage to avoid Burt having a stroke on top of his heart attack. She didn't have much medical knowledge but it all sounded bad. At least Burt had been admitted to a top hospital where he would receive excellent care.

"I'm sure the doctors are doing their best," she told Ethan not knowing what else to tell her nine year old foster-son.

"Maybe we should pray for him?" Ethan suggested and Carole told him that would be all right with her.

Who was she to tell him how he should deal with something like that. She wasn't religious herself but if praying helped Ethan, she was all for him giving it a try.

After what felt like hours she finally got to the hospital and was grateful for Burt's secretary who offered to look after Ethan while Carole went to find a doctor. Suddenly her phone alerted her to a new text message and Carole realized she hadn't told her sons yet. As much as she wanted to talk to a doctor first to give them some kind of news, this couldn't wait.

Kurt sounded shocked but still composed when she reached him, and she tried to tell the boys that it wasn't necessary to come down until they knew more, but Kurt told her that he, Finn and Blaine would leave immediately. She was just glad that Blaine was coming with them, because she wanted neither Kurt nor Finn behind the wheel at the moment. Both boys had lost one parent already and Carole hoped they all wouldn't have to go through that again.

After finishing her call, she made her way down another long corridor until she finally found the nurse's station she had been told to go to.

"My husband Burt Hummel was brought here a few hours ago. Can you tell me what's going on?" she asked as calmly as possible because on TV people who yelled at nurses never got any answers.

Unlike the bored TV nurses, the nurse immediately sprang to action and started typing on her keyboard.

"He is still in surgery, so if you could just sit down in the waiting room. I'll send his doctor over as soon as he is done in the OR."

That was not the answer she had hoped for but she knew there wasn't anything else she could do. She quickly dialed Burt's secretary's number, and Marsha informed her that she and Ethan were having a snack in the hospital cafeteria and that she would keep him busy for the time being. That lady was an angel in Carole's opinion.

Carole kept her gaze on the clock in the hospital waiting room, which for some reason was behind bars, but it felt like time wasn't moving forward at all. After forty-five torturously slow minutes a doctor in scrubs finally approached her.

"Carole Hummel?" he asked and Carole nodded not bothering to tell him that it was Hudson-Hummel.

"How is he?" she asked.

"Your husband has suffered a mild heart attack. However, after the first check up we discovered a blockage that left untreated would have caused him to have a stroke probably within a few hours. We went in and put a stent in to fix the problem, but he will have to undergo strict dietary changes so it won't happen again," the doctor informed her calmly and Carole released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"So he is okay?" she wanted to make sure.

"Unfortunately, your husband hasn't woken up yet, but this is quiet common with cases like this. Usually the body needs time to recover before it wakes up again. So for the time being I'm sorry to inform you, your husband is in a coma. We have moved him to the ICU and during visiting hours any family members over the age of twelve can stay with him for a few minutes. Unfortunately we cannot allow more than two people at the same time. Anyone under the age of eighteen has to be with an adult."

Carole sat down again trying to keep the tears at bay. She was trying to convince herself that it could be worse. At least Burt had survived the operation and she had to believe he would pull through.

"Can I see him now? My sons are on the way from Chicago but I don't think they will be here in time before visiting hours end. Are you sure they can't see their father for at least a minute when they get here?" she asked not above begging should it be necessary.

"I'll see what we can do. If you'll follow me."

Carole followed first the doctor and then an ICU nurse through another set of corridors until they finally reached Burt's room. The nurse stepped aside to let her in and Carole paled when she saw her husband. Strange beeping monitors surrounded his bed and a tube was inside his throat to help him breath as the nurse explained. He looked pale, even paler that Kurt in the winter and the wide hospital bed made him look smaller than he was.

Once the shock had settled she rushed over and sat down on the chair next to the bed, gripping his hand tightly, though mindful of the needle in the back of his hand.

"Oh Burt," she whispered, tears rolling down her face. "How could you do this to us? We need you!"

As much as it pained her to see her husband in the hospital like that, she couldn't help but be angry as well. After every doctor's visit she had told him to take better care of himself, but apparently he had ignored all her warnings just for what? Some stupid burgers and beer? Why would he do this to his family? She couldn't lose him now. She had done the single parent thing once, but then it had only been Finn. Now she had three boys to take care of, and she needed Burt to be there for it as well.

"You need to wake up, honey," she pleaded with him. "I can't do this own my own."

She stayed with him, pleading and begging, until the nurse came back and told her that was enough for now. Carole wiped away her tears not wanting to scare Ethan even more and went downstairs to the cafeteria to relieve Marsha. Marsha excused herself because she had her own family at home and Carole promised to keep her updated. Then she was alone with Ethan.

"Is uncle Burt going to be okay?" Ethan asked in a small voice and Carole felt tears welling up again.

"He is asleep right now in a special room so his body can heal," she explained not wanting to give him too many details. Ethan looked relieved.

"Can I go see him?" he asked. Carole shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but you have to be at least twelve years old to go in, but I promise to tell him you wanted to come visit."

A glance at the clock told her that it was close to eight and the boys probably wouldn't be able to make it to the hospital till after midnight. She was glad that Kurt and Blaine where old enough to rent a car, because she didn't want them on a bus that late at night.

"Do you want to go back to Burt's apartment and sleep for a bit while we wait for your brothers?" she asked Ethan because if they stayed they would have to sleep on uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room.

Ethan shook his head though. "I don't want to leave. What if something happens while we are gone?"

Carole took his hand and together they went back upstairs to the waiting room outside the ICU where she dug out the iPod Touch the boys had given her for Christmas and handed it to Ethan.

An hour later, the young boy was asleep on one of those ugly plastic chairs and Carole hunted down a nurse for a blanket. At some point she must have fallen asleep as well, because suddenly she was shaken awake by her frantic looking son.

"Where is he? Is he okay?" Kurt and Finn asked in unison and Carole gave them a weak smile.

The commotion had woken Ethan up as well and Carole asked Blaine to sit with him, while she took Finn and Kurt up to Burt's room, hoping the night nurse would let the boys in for a few minutes.

 

* * *

 

Kurt knew the chances were small that he would get to see his father before the next morning as soon as he heard that he had been moved to the ICU, when he followed Finn and Carole down some deserted corridors.

When they finally found a night nurse, he and Finn must have looked awful enough for her to take pity on them, because she granted each of them five minutes with their father.

Not knowing yet what he wanted to tell his dad once he saw him – people did say that people in comas could still hear you, right? – he decided to let Finn go in first. Finn latched onto Carole's hand and the two of them walked into room 315.

Outside, Kurt tried to compose himself. When his dad had first come back into his life nearly two years ago, Kurt couldn't get rid of him fast enough, though he would never wish death on anyone, but two years later, his dad had become one of the most important people in his life and he wasn't ready to lose him now that he had just gotten him back.

Deep in thoughts, he didn't even realize how much time had past, because suddenly Carole and a pale looking Finn were back next to him and the nurse asked him to follow her.

Kurt stood up slowly before following her over to 315 as well. Kurt had watched enough medical dramas – he and Blaine were particularly fond of ‘House’ – to not be shocked by the sight that greeted him, and he was relieved when the nurse stepped outside to give him some privacy.

He sat down on the chair next to his dad's hospital bed and gingerly took his limp hand into his own.

"Hey dad, it's Kurt. It'd be great if you could just wake up because we are all worrying about you. Carole is trying to keep everything together but this is really hurting her," he mumbled, just saying whatever came to his mind.

Holding his dad's hand reminded him of their good moments. When his dad had taken his hand so Kurt wouldn't get lost when they saw the ice revue all those years ago, or when he fell after he first learned riding a bike. That was of course before his dad looked disapproving at his pink streamers, but Kurt wanted to focus on the good things.

"I don't have that many great memories with you," he whispered, "but I want us to have more of them in the future. You can't leave me now when we are finally becoming a family."

Tears were spilling over and Kurt let them fall as he clutched his dad's hand tighter. His dad needed to wake up because he was too young to become an orphan. The world had been cruel enough as it was, taking his mother away from him when she was still so young, but if he lost his father too, he wouldn't know what he would do.

Before he knew it his time was up and the nurse led him back to Finn and Carole who were both crying as well. When Carole saw him approach, she dug out some tissues from her purse and handed them around. Kurt accepted one gratefully and wiped his face as best as he could, before the three of them went back to the waiting room in silence.

Ethan was asleep next to Blaine who was stroking his hair and when his boyfriend saw him approach he stood up carefully and opened his arms for Kurt. Kurt let himself be pulled into Blaine's warm and comforting embrace, soaking his collar with fresh tears that wouldn't stop falling.

A while later the family settled on the waiting room chairs, neither willing to leave the hospital at this point and Kurt snuggled up to Blaine as much as was possible on the plastic chairs.

* * *

 

Blaine was the first one to wake up the next morning after barely sleeping all night, and he carefully extricated himself from Kurt and placed a pillow - one of the nurses must have left for them - under Kurt's head. He was wandering around looking for a coffee vending machine when he passed Burt's room.

A nurse stepped outside while he stood in front of the door and told him he could visit if he was family. Blaine quickly nodded hoping she wouldn't ask any further questions, but the nurse just opened the door for him and let him through.

"Five minutes," she reminded him and Blaine nodded.

Burt looked like he was just sleeping and Blaine stepped closer, hoping his presence alone would get a reaction out of Burt. But nothing happened during the five minutes he spent with Kurt's dad and so he returned back to the waiting room where the rest of the family was slowly waking up.

"Did you see my dad?" Kurt asked immediately and Blaine nodded as he sat down next to him. All eyes were suddenly on him, and Blaine shook his head. "No change," he whispered.

They all looked like they hadn't slept at all and he caught Carole looking worriedly at Ethan more than once. She had enough on her plate as it was and shouldn't be worrying about upsetting Ethan as well, Blaine thought.

"Why don't I take Ethan back to Burt's apartment and you let us know if something happens," he suggested and Carole gave him a grateful smile.

"I don't want to leave," Ethan said and Carole pulled him into her arms.

"I know, honey, but there is nothing you can do here because they won't let you visit unless they move him to another floor, okay? I promise to call as soon as there are any changes and Blaine will bring you back to the hospital."

When Ethan finally agreed, Blaine took his hand and led him outside to the car. Ethan was silent during the car ride and by the time they had reached Burt's apartment, which was only about fifteen minutes away from the hospital, Ethan was asleep again.

Not wanting to wake the young boy up, he undid his seatbelt and carried him inside, glad that Ethan wasn't weighing this much. He had tried to pick up Kurt once and they had both collapsed in a fit of laughter.

Once inside he put Ethan down on the couch and went to the kitchen to make some much needed coffee. A glance at the clock told him that New Directions would be performing soon and he sent Santana a text wishing them good luck. 'Hope the old man is okay' she sent back and he knew she was concerned as well. She didn't often show it, but she had a soft spot for Burt as well, since she had been living for the Hudmels for a few weeks.

He was wondering if Carole had called anyone besides them but decided to let his mom know nevertheless. A quick phone call with her assured her that there was no need for her to drive up to Columbus and that Carole would surely appreciate having a friend to lean on right now.

Ethan woke up again an hour later and together they settled on the couch watching mindless cartoons to pass time. Kurt texted him from time to time but his answers were always the same. No changes.

Around noon Finn showed up at the apartment and he explained that they would take turns coming over for a shower and some food. Blaine wasn't the best cook, but he found some pasta and tomato sauce in Burt's kitchen, and started to cook spaghetti while Finn was in the shower. At least pasta was a food pretty much every child liked to eat.

Finn's appetite didn't seem to be affected, but when Kurt came in an hour later, Blaine had to basically force his boyfriend to eat at least a little bit.

Carole visibly relaxed when she saw that Ethan was being taken care of and thanked him for calling his mom, because she really needed someone to lean on herself right now.

With the Hudmels gone again, their afternoon passed in pretty much the same fashion as the morning. Most of the time they were watching TV because Burt didn't have any toys in his apartment. Blaine was having a hard time keeping his eyes open but he didn't want to go to sleep while Ethan was still awake.

It was close to dinnertime when there was a knock on the door and when he opened it he was faced with an armful of Rachel and Mercedes.

"What are you doing here?" he gasped once the two girls released him.

"We left straight after our performance," Rachel explained.

"We couldn't be there for our boy the last time he was hurting and we want to be here for him if he needs us," Mercedes added before putting her arm on his and led him over to the sofa.

"Why don't you get some sleep while we watch over the little one?" Rachel suggested when she realized how tired Blaine looked and Blaine gave her a grateful smile.

Together they pulled out the sofa bed, so Blaine could lie down and the others still had space to sit down. He was out like a light and when he woke up again it was dark outside. Unsure at first what had woken him, he nearly jumped when the sofabed dipped and Kurt slipped under the blanket next to him.

"What's going on?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Sh," Kurt answered, pointing to the floor where Rachel and Mercedes were sleeping on pillows and blankets.

"Carole came back earlier with Finn and took Ethan with them to the bedroom. I wanted to stay at the hospital but the doctor told me to go home because I looked ready to pass out myself," he explained still whispering.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk?" Blaine asked quietly but Kurt shook his head.

"Just hold me."

* * *

 

Kurt hadn't wanted to leave the hospital but he did feel a lot better once he was in his boyfriend's arms. Even with his lack of sleep he was still the first one to wake up the next morning and slowly got up and put on the only fresh clothes he still had. He was in the kitchen making coffee, when strong arms suddenly wrapped around him.

"We're so sorry Kurt," Mercedes whispered and Kurt let himself be hugged by his best girls.

"I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging like that," Kurt told Rachel once she released him from another tight hug. Rachel waved him off before telling him excitedly – and Kurt appreciated that they weren't talking about his dad for once - that they had come in third. Kurt felt a pang of jealousy because ND had apparently been even better without them but he focused his attention back on Rachel who was still talking.

"Most of the other groups based their performances on a sole performer and apparently the judges must have preferred the group numbers. You know Mr. Schuester would have done the exact same thing. I would have loved it but we would have lost," she mused before adding. "I'm sorry you had to miss it though. It wasn't the same without you." And Kurt remembered why they were best friends.

"Were the others mad we just left?" he asked once she had finished and Rachel shook her head.

"They all understood once Ms. Corcoran explained."

They spent a few more minutes in the kitchen talking about Nationals and drinking coffee before a glance at his phone told him that visiting hours were starting soon and he was immensely grateful when Rachel and Mercedes offered to stay with Blaine and Ethan a bit longer.

Carole and Finn were still asleep but he was sure they would join him at the hospital as soon as they were awake. He had read up on comas while he was in the hospital last night and so he knew that the longer it took for a patient to wake up the less likely it was that it was going to happen. So he was really hoping that his dad would wake up today.

* * *

 

When Burt still hadn't woken up by the time Sunday afternoon came around, Carole didn't have a choice but to pack up their little camp and return to Lima. The girls had already left the day before and as much as Carole wanted to stay, they all still had finals to take.

Kurt had begged her to let him stay, but she reminded him that college acceptance letter or not, he had not graduated high school until he held his diploma in his hand. She knew she might get away with letting the older boys skip school for a few days, but she couldn't take Ethan out of school because he wasn't legally hers and she didn't want to lose him over him not going to school.

To get the boys back to Lima she had to promise them that they would at least drive up every third day and spend the weekend in case Burt still wasn't awake when the week was over.

The kitchen was clean and their flowers still alive when they returned, thanks to Tala who had dropped by and had gotten rid of half finished cookie dough and other remnants of her baking lesson. She was glad to have a friend in Blaine's mom because as much as she loved her boys, sometimes she needed adult friends as well.

As if Tala could read her mind, the doorbell rang shortly after Ethan had gone to bed and Kurt, Finn and Blaine – who refused to go home – went upstairs as well. Her friend stood in front of the door, a bottle of wine in her hand.

"Now I know alcohol isn't a solution but I thought you might need a glass or two," Tala explained as Carole invited her in. Once Tala was seated in the living room, Carole quickly went upstairs to check that Ethan was asleep, because with his history he didn't need to see her drinking. She had seen the look on his face when Burt had ordered a beer after Regionals and she didn't want him to think they were like his parents.

The nightlight they had installed after Ethan had woken up screaming a few times after he had moved into their home illuminated enough of the room to assure her that Ethan was indeed asleep and she quietly closed his door again and went back downstairs where Tala had already poured each of them a glass.

"I'm glad you came over," she told Blaine's mom after accepting her glass. "I try to keep it together for the kids because I don't want them to see how worried I am, but it gets exhausting pretending to be okay," she confided in Tala.

"You met me when I was pretty much at my worst. There is no need for you to pretend around me," Tala assured her and Carole slumped down on the couch.

"It's just, the doctors keep assuring me that it's completely normal for patients to fall into a coma after surgery but I can tell they are worried as well. And I'm also really angry with Burt, but then I feel guilty about it."

"Hey, it's understandable that you are angry with him for causing this," Tala comforted her and Carole took a big gulp of wine.

"He kept hiding things from me, liking collapsing at the office and I'm sure when he was up there he did all the stuff I told him not to do. Did he think I only told him that to make him suffer? I keep thinking what if that had happened in his apartment with no one around to call 911? Would I be planning a funeral right now?"

It was good to let it all out for once. All the anger and worries that plagued her. By the time she had finished her little rant her glass was empty and she gladly accepted a refill. Alcohol might not be the solution to her problems but it sure felt nice to let go a bit without worrying what her kids might think.

* * *

 

Kurt decided to skip Glee his first day back at school since he, Finn and Blaine had run out of Nationals. He knew his teammates would want to celebrate and he didn't want to bring them down or stop them from celebrating. Instead he threw himself into his homework and studying for his final exams that would take place over the next two weeks. It kept his mind off other things.

Blaine had offered to accompany him, but Kurt needed some time alone at least for one afternoon and he was glad when Blaine told him he understood and he wasn't worried about Kurt shutting him out. Finn, Ethan and Carole were still out as well, and Kurt relished the quiet at home where he could let his guards down and drop the fake smile that had been on his lips throughout the day. He didn't want anyone's pity and people were more inclined to leave you alone when you were smiling. He had learnt a thing or two about hiding his real feelings when the bullying had been the worst.

The rest of the week went by in pretty much the same fashion. They went up to Columbus twice, but his dad stayed in his coma and never reacted to the touch of his hand or the things Kurt told him. At home he focused on his studies and helped Carole keeping Ethan busy. He knew his foster-brother was really worried as well, especially because he wasn't allowed to see his uncle Burt, but Kurt didn't know what to do to make it better.

A week after his dad's hospitalization found Kurt at the Lima Cemetery. It had been a few weeks since he had last visited his mom, all the changes in his life keeping him busy, and they had a lot of catching up to do.

"Hey mom," he told her once he sat down next to her headstone. It was already warm enough out to sit on the floor, with the April son warming up the earth.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but dad is in the hospital."

He paused and for once he wasn't sure what to tell her. He wasn't in the mood for just giving her a run down of his life and the longer it took his dad to wake up the harder it got to talk about it. Jacob Ben Israel, McKinley's gossip reporter had dared to ask when they would take his dad off life support and Kurt had to be restrained by Blaine so he wouldn't punch him.

"It's not looking good," he finally said. "But I'm not ready to give up on him. You don't know what he is like now. I know he will fight for us."

What wouldn't he give for having his mom with him right now. She would know how to comfort him and what to say to make him feel better, he was sure of it. He knew he could go to Carole, but Carole was hurting as well, and he didn't want to add to her worries.

Kurt knew though that wishful thinking didn't change anything. Life wasn't a video game where each player had multiple lives and he had to accept that.

He was still seated next to his mother's grave when Blaine found him hours later. Kurt hadn't even realized how cold he was now that the sun was gone, until Blaine pulled him to his feet and wrapped him in his arms to warm him up.

"Come on. Let's get you home," Blaine told him and Kurt let himself be led away from the cemetery.

No, life wasn't like one of Finn's game, but right now Kurt sure as hell wished it were.

* * *

 

Uncle Burt had been sleeping for over a week when his social worker Mr. Ryan came by the house to talk to aunt Carole. He knew it was a bad thing to listen into adult conversations but he didn't like the look on Mr. Ryan's face when he asked to talk to aunt Carole in private.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him and Ethan nearly cried out when Finn sat down on his one side and Kurt on his other.

"It's okay, little bro," Finn told him. "Kurt and I do this all the time and my mom isn't much better. The trick is not getting caught," Finn kept explaining and Ethan wondered how they were supposed to avoid getting caught if Finn kept talking.

The giant boy stopped then, when aunt Carole came back into the living room, two cups in her hands.

"Not be rude, but why are you visiting right now? Our next scheduled visit isn't for another two weeks?" aunt Carole asked once she was sitting on the couch.

"Well, I just wanted to come by to tell you that we already found another family who would be willing to take Ethan while your husband recovers or if something happens to him. We want to give you time with your family," Mr. Ryan explained and Ethan had to suppress a sob.

He didn't want to be moved to another house now that he was getting comfortable with the Hudmels.

"Ethan is part of our family," aunt Carole cut in and Ethan was happy to see that she looked angry with Mr. Ryan. "And as long as some court doesn't decide he has to go home with his parents or be moved to another family, he has a home with us. The poor boy deserves more than constantly getting moved around.”

A tear ran down his face, but those were happy tears. He had never had anyone fight for him before and it felt amazing.

"Be that as it may, but we aren't sure you can give him the proper care and attention right now and a hospital isn't the right place for a young boy."

Next to him Finn and Kurt both jumped up and before Ethan knew what was happening they ran into the living room.

"My mom is perfect for Ethan and she takes care of all of us even when she needs someone to lean on herself," Finn immediately jumped in to defend his mom and Kurt nodded.

"We all make sure Ethan is never left alone and he wants to be with us in the hospital to check on my dad," Kurt continued.

Ethan had enough of just listening in while others decided over his life.

"I don't want to leave," he told Mr. Ryan, holding on tight to aunt Carole as he did. "I like it here because everyone is really nice and they always try to cheer me up when I have a bad dream or feel sad. Please don't make me go to some other family," he whispered as tears were flowing freely now.

Mr. Ryan bent down to look him in the eye and Ethan fought the urge to hide behind aunt Carole's legs. He wasn't a baby anymore after all.

"Is that really what you want? You aren't just saying that because you don't want them to be angry with you?" he asked and Ethan shook his head.

"I don't want to leave," he repeated hoping the adults would listen to him.

"Very well then," Mr. Ryan agreed and Ethan smiled up at aunt Carole when she wiped away his tears.

"Oh by the way. His parents' court date has been set for the 25th of May. The judge will want to speak to him in the morning of that day, so please make sure to save the date," Mr. Ryan addressed aunt Carole and Ethan's smile disappeared again.

He still missed his parents and hoped they were better now so he could go home, but he would also miss everyone in this family terribly. But if he couldn't go home because his parents were still mean, he hoped he could stay here. Aunt Carole had promised that he could and he hoped she would keep her promise.

After Mr. Ryan had left they all snuggled up together on the living room couch as best as they could and Ethan again basked in the knowledge that he had people in his life now, who were willing to fight for him.

* * *

 

Two more weeks had passed since the Hummel-Hudson family had received a visit from social services and it was taking its toll on the family. Three times a week the hospital in Columbus saw five sad looking people take the elevator up to the third floor and they always left with the same expression on their faces.

After avoiding his friends after his father's hospitalization, Kurt discovered that letting others help him didn't make him weak, it made him lucky, because he had so many people who cared about him. The McKinley High Glee club had come together and had sung 'Lean on Me' to Kurt and Finn.

Blaine found that it helped him to talk to the school's guidance councilor though he had thought her pamphlets were a bit weird in the beginning.

No one wanted to say anything but after several phone calls from the hospital that turned out to be false alarms the Hummel-Hudsons were slowly losing hope. Legally Carole had to make all medical decisions now, but she knew she wouldn't have it in her heart to take her husband off life support.

It was a rainy Tuesday morning, three and a half weeks after Burt Hummel had been first admitted to the hospital when Carole Hudson-Hummel's phone vibrated in her lap during her last final exam of the semester. She had already answered more than half of the questions, so when she recognized the phone number she dropped off her quiz sheet and ran out into the hallway.

A doctor informed her that Burt was showing signs of waking up and Carole just prayed to a god she didn't believe in that it wasn't another false alarm as she drove over to Ethan's elementary school to sign him out because she knew they probably wouldn't be back in time for school to end.

Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson and Blaine Anderson had just finished their last exams of their high school careers and where en route to the choir room for a little celebration with the other graduating seniors when they ran into Carole and Ethan who had been looking everywhere for them.

Together the group that we might as well call a family made their way to Columbus in the hope that this time they would leave with a smile on their faces. 


	12. May

"Listen to what the doctor said," Carole chided him. "You are still on bed rest for a few more days. He wouldn't have released you if you hadn't agreed to that."

Burt sighed and sat back on the couch. It had been a week since he had woken up in a hospital in Columbus and after much begging and promises to be good, the hospital had finally agreed to release him the day before.

With his boys' graduation just around the corner he was itching to start walking around but for now he had to count it as a small victory that he had managed to convince Carole that bed rest didn't mean he couldn't rest on the living room couch.

He wanted to downplay things at first but seeing how worried everyone still was about him made him realize what he had nearly done to his family by playing with his health and ignoring multiple doctor's advices.

It made him realize that he had been selfish, not thinking about his family when he was ruining his health. So he didn't protest when Carole and Kurt presented his new diet even though most things he loved were now forbidden.

As soon as Carole left the living room, Blaine and Kurt came downstairs and took her place. He understood that they just wanted to check on him and were afraid to let him out of sight but it made him feel a bit like a prisoner in his own house.

"You know, I won't make a run for it if you leave me unguarded," he tried to joke but his son just glared at him.

"The light is better down here," he lied.

Burt looked over to Blaine who was bouncing up and down nervously.

"What's going on? You look nervous, Blaine," he observed.

Before Blaine could explain, Kurt cut in, obviously excited about whatever made Blaine act like that.

"Blaine is valedictorian and is freaking out about his speech. I don't know why though. I know he is going to be amazing," he explained.

Burt blinked and stared at Blaine.

"Wow, this is amazing, congrats kiddo," he told him. "I'm really proud of you."

Blaine gave him a huge toothy smile, eating up the praise like he always did, which in turn always made Burt feel sad because no kid should get this excited because someone told them they were proud of them.

Soon the smile vanished though and Blaine looked a bit sick again.

"I don't know what I'm going to say. God, I should have just flunked one of my exams so Quinn could have the honors," he moaned.

Burt saw Kurt give his boyfriend a fond smile.

"You'll think of something and we will be there to cheer you on," his son told Blaine as he started to massage his back and Blaine moaned again but it was definitely a sound of pleasure now.

Burt cleared his throat and Kurt blushed.

"You know, the light might be better upstairs after all for speech writing purposes," he mumbled before he and Blaine fled the room.

After the boys left, Burt was alone for the first time since his return home and it left him alone with his thoughts. He had been confused when he had first woken up, panicking a bit until the tube had been removed from his throat and machines had been disconnected.

The moment the doctors had declared him stable, his teary eyed family had run into the room and Burt had started to realize that something must have been seriously wrong with him. The last thing he remembered was his left arm hurting and feeling dizzy again, so at first he had assumed he had just collapsed a second time.

He had been shocked when he learned that he had been in a coma for over three weeks and that things hadn't been looking good for him. The thought of having an object implanted in him was also disconcerting but if it kept him from getting sick again any time soon, he'd gladly live with it.

Burt was brought out of his musings when he heard the stairs creak behind him and Ethan came around. The young boy sat down in the armchair facing the couch and just stared at Burt.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" he asked as he patted the space next to him. Ethan stood up slowly, before crossing over and sitting down gingerly next to him.

"You're not going back to sleep, are you?" Ethan asked in a small voice and it took Burt a moment to understand that he was talking about the coma. Burt shook his head.

"I don't plan to," he said, not wanting to make promises he wasn't sure he could keep.

"I'm sorry I scared you buddy," he continued. "Carole told me you came to see me in the hospital all the time and I just wanted to say that that was really nice of you," he told the boy who reminded him so much of a young Kurt.

"They wouldn't let me in, but I didn't want to leave you alone. I don't like being alone when I'm sick."

Something told him that Ethan had been left alone a lot, even when he had been sick and it gave him another reason to get healthy again. He wanted to be there for Ethan in the future.

Burt opened his arms for Ethan and the young boy moved closer. Burt waited until Ethan had fallen asleep in his arms before closing his own eyes as well. He was still more exhausted than he cared to admit.

Over the next couple of days, he was on his best behavior so he would be fit enough to see his sons receive their high school diplomas. Carole had other ideas though trying to convince him that watching it on tape would be better for his health, but Burt wouldn’t budge.

"I'm sorry Carole. I don't care if I have to stay seated on a chair the whole time, but I'm not missing my boys graduate. I do whatever you want me to do afterward but nothing will keep me away from that."

He knew he had won when Carole grumbled about getting him a cane for it, but Burt couldn't care less. As long as he could be there, he'd even accept using a wheelchair and giving up his favorite flannel shirts.

* * *

 

Kurt looked at his red graduation robes in distain, whishing he was allowed to alter them. Blaine was standing next to him, trying on his own robes in front of the mirror and Kurt wondered – not for the first time – why all kinds of uniforms looked good on his boyfriend while he looked terrible in them.

"Thanks for helping me with the speech," Blaine said when he caught Kurt's eyes in the mirror. Kurt just smiled and waved him off.

"It was my pleasure. There are things I've always wanted to say to the students at McKinley but never had the platform for. Maybe I should have run against Brittany for student council president," he mused.

He still had a hard time understanding how Brittany had been allowed to stay in office when she had been in danger of not being able to graduate with them.

"And you would have been a great president," Blaine assured him before leaning in for a kiss. Minutes later Kurt couldn't wait to get Blaine out of his robes.

The next day, Kurt, Carole, Ethan, Finn and his dad piled into Carole's SUV and made their way over to the school. His dad was to stay off his feet under any circumstances, and Kurt had instructed Ethan to make sure he complied if Carole wasn't with him.

All the members of New Directions were waiting together next to the stage for their final performance and Kurt and Finn joined their teammates after promising to let Carole take pictures later. Even Kurt was a bit teary eyed after they finished singing 'We are the champions' and he grabbed Blaine's hand when they got off the stage and led him back to their families.

To his and Blaine's surprise, Cooper was standing next to Tala, but before they had a chance to say hello, Carole pulled them aside and started taking what felt like a million pictures.

Kurt could see that Blaine was still nervous and when principal Figgins took the stage and announced Blaine's speech, he pulled Blaine into his arms, not caring about disapproving looks, and whispered into his ear. "Go make me proud."

* * *

 

Blaine stepped up to the microphone, nervously reaching for his tie yet again, before he leaned forward hoping to remember all the words to the speech he and Kurt had worked on.

"Hi, my name is Blaine Anderson, for those of you who don't know me," he started, clearing his throat when it came out more like a squeak.

He straightened his posture and put on his game smile when he spotted Kurt giving him a thumbs up. If he could sing solos in front of a thousand people he could pull this off as well.

"Now, I know we all want to get out of here as soon as possible so I promise to keep this short." A few people laughed and Blaine relaxed a bit.

"I am aware that not all students of this school are going to like what I'm going to say, but this not for them, this is for the rest of us who couldn't wait to be done with high school."

This earned him a few cheers but also confused looks.

"Those who are sad that high school is over and that they are suddenly thrust into the real world might not like where this is going" he continued. "I'd like to speak for everyone who didn't have a voice these past four years, but whose messages were just as important.

In my life I have heard a lot of 'you can'ts' and 'you shouldn'ts'. You can't do that, people wouldn't like that. You shouldn't follow that dream – it’s a pipe dream. I'm sure many of you have heard those as well over the years.

However, I'm saying now is the time to say we can and we should. If we don't follow our dreams while we are still young, when should we? And if we always hold back and hide ourselves because others might not like it when we don't, would we ever be happy?

You might think that in school we learn a lot of useless things and when I look at our schools' curricula I have to agree. We often don't leave our schools book smart but we learn things nonetheless.

We learn that life isn't always fair, that often the good doesn't triumph over the bad and that people can be oh so cruel. We are forced to grow up faster that we might like. And we learn to distrust a system that protects those among us who are valued because they can throw a ball around better than the next kid even when they hurt others because… Because what? Because they can, because they don't have to fear punishment, because it's fun? I wish someone would have told those kids, you can't and you shouldn't.

When I think about McKinley, I don't want to think of my time here as my glory days, but as the time of my life that trained me to fight for what a believe in, for what I want. To not let bullies get me down. Let the bullies have their high school glory days. The rest of us, we're going to take the world by storm."

He was met with loud applause from his glee mates and all other students that had been told they weren't important because they didn't like the 'right' things, while a few former football players glared at him. Blaine couldn't care less. He was done with petty high school hierarchy.

With a smile he took to the microphone again. "I present to you, the class of 2012. Thank you and have a nice life."

As soon as he got off the stage he was pulled into a hug, first by Kurt and then by Cooper. Blaine still couldn't believe his brother had chosen his graduation over an audition, but he was glad Cooper was trying for him.

* * *

 

Kurt was pretending to listen as Chandler went on and on about his plans for senior year as he watched Blaine, who had been on the phone with someone from the Columbia admissions office for the past ten minutes.

"Aren't you happy to hear that?"

Chandler's question brought him back to the conversation and he nodded hoping it was the right reaction. "

You haven't heard a thing I just said, have you?"

Kurt shook his head guiltily. He and Blaine had agreed to meet Chandler for coffee so they could give the younger boy some tips about college applications but Kurt hadn't paid much attention to him, ever since Blaine had gotten the call.

"I said I'm sure you're happy to hear that Sebastian got into college somewhere on the west coast. At least now you don't have to worry about running into him in New York."

Kurt gave him a weak smile. He wasn't even sure yet if he would go to college in the fall at all because someone had to look after the shop while his dad recovered. Maybe he could take some classes at community college as well, until he could start at Julliard in January.

"I'm sure Blaine will be happy to know that," he told Chandler, because judging by Blaine's sudden squeal one of them was going to New York in August.

Before Chandler got a chance to respond, Blaine rushed back to the table.

"I got in," he told Kurt and Kurt wondered why he looked so calm all of a sudden.

"I know you would," he told him after brief hug, "but shouldn't you be more excited?" Blaine shrugged. "

It's great and all but I told them I needed a couple of days to think about it."

Kurt stared at Blaine as if he had just grown a second head.

"Why would you do that?" he asked incredulously. "It's your dream school."

"Well, the deadline for Julliard is next week and if you don't get a spot now, I'm going to Brown for the semester until we can both transfer to New York."

Kurt wanted to argue with him, but Blaine stopped him.

"This isn't giving up anything for you, okay? It's just that if we are going to New York, I want us to do it together."

Kurt took his hand and told Chandler they would be right back, before leading Blaine out of the Lima Bean.

"Blaine, even if I get into Julliard right now I might not go," he started hoping Blaine would understand.

"My dad is still too sick to go back to work, and with his hospital bills we can't really afford to hire a bunch of workers until he is healthy enough to go back. I'm probably going to stay in Lima and help out as much as I can. But you should go to New York with Santana, Brittany and Rachel and scope out the place so you can show me around when I get there in January."

Blaine was silent and Kurt began to worry a bit about his reaction. Finally he spoke.

"For as long as I have known you you've been itching to get out of Lima and now you are willing to stay?" Kurt shrugged.

"It's my dad," he said as if this would explain everything. And it did. College could wait, his family couldn't.

* * *

 

Blaine knew Kurt wouldn't like it when he found out what he had done, but he felt that Burt had a right to know what his son planed to do, because Kurt's decision affected him as well.

"He what?" Burt yelled, as soon as Blaine had finished talking and Carole patted his leg soothingly, telling him to think about his blood pressure.

"He told me he is going to call up Berklee on Monday and tell them to give his spot to someone else," Blaine repeated.

Unfortunately, no space had become available for Julliard in the fall, and Kurt had informed him that now that it was clear he wouldn't get to New York in the fall anyway, he would stay in Lima for another half year.

"All right, here is what we are going to do," Burt sprang to action immediately. "You distract him on Monday, take him shopping or whatever else keeps him from calling them and I will transfer the money for housing first thing in the morning. It's non-refundable unless the student has to drop out for medical reasons so he will have to go unless he wants me to just waste money. Have you decided what you are going to do yet?" he added after explaining his plan.

Yep, Kurt was going to be pissed, when he learnt what they had done behind his back, but they all agreed that Kurt was destined to get out of Lima.

"I sent Brown a check for the dorms as soon as Kurt heard from Julliard. It wouldn't feel right to go to New York without him and Columbia will still be there when we move to New York in January."

"Good," Burt told him. "I'm going to feel a lot better about him going off to college in a big city knowing he has people who care about him close by. You make sure he takes care of himself and I make sure to take care of myself so he can stop worrying."

Just then Blaine heard Kurt's car door close and he jumped up, ready to run up to Kurt's room. He just hoped he would be able to distract Kurt long enough for Burt to put his plan into motion and that Kurt wouldn't be too mad when he found out about it.

* * *

 

"And you are sure you want to go forward with this, if the court decides in our favor?" Carole asked again, because after January's debacle she wanted to discuss every decision regarding Ethan at least twice with Burt.

She had talked to a few people from social services and they had all told her that they could start the adoption process as soon as the court ruled that Ethan wouldn't be going back to his family. She felt conflicted about that. On the one hand she hoped that Ethan's parents had changed enough for Ethan to be allowed to come home and on the other hand she didn't want to give him up and hoped he wouldn't be allowed to go home. Of course she hadn't told him that, because she knew he was confused about what he wanted himself.

"Carole, I'm on your side here, okay?" Burt reminded her. "Ethan is already part of our family, legal document or not, so why wouldn't I want to go forward with this. I know you worry about stressing me, but this is something good."

Carole snuggled up closer to Burt, beyond thankful that she hadn't lost him. Burt had been on his best behavior the past few weeks, though she caught him looking at his food in distaste more than once. His stay in the hospital had apparently been the wake up call he had desperately needed because he was now putting his family first, even if that meant having to give up things he loved.

"Are you nervous about the hearing?" Burt asked a while later and Carole shrugged.

"I just hope they are going to make the right decision," she said. "I'm more worried about seeing Ethan's parents there, knowing what they did to him in the past. I still can't believe what some people do to their children."

Burt tensed next to her and Carole put her hand under his chin so he had to look at her.

"You are and never were anything like that, okay? Ethan wouldn't be as happy with us as he is, if you were a bad person," she reminded him again and after a few moments he relaxed in her arms once more.

She was close to falling asleep when the front door slammed shut and Kurt crossed through the living room, still in his greasy overalls. He hadn't taken the news very well, when Burt had told him about the check, claiming that at nineteen he was old enough to make his own decisions, but Carole agreed with Burt. She didn't want Kurt to resent Burt in the future for 'forcing' him to stay in Lima and so legal adult or not, she had supported Burt's plan to force Kurt into going to college in the fall.

He had been giving them the cold shoulder since then, because he was afraid that if he yelled at his dad, he would have another heart attack, as Blaine had told her. Apparently, Kurt had no problem yelling at Blaine for ratting him out to his parents and for not going to New York either. But at least they were on speaking terms. She wasn't too worried though. As soon as Kurt calmed down, she was sure he would see that they only wanted the best for him and that it wasn't a kid's job to take care of a parent.

Even if Kurt was mad at them for the rest of the summer, as long as he got into the car come August and let them move him into his and Mercedes' dorm room, she could live with that and so would Kurt. She knew that getting to share a dorm with his best friend would soften Kurt up a bit, and so she had been glad to hear that the school allowed boys and girls to room together if they wanted.

With kids in the house there would always be things to take care of and she wouldn't have it any other way, even if it occasionally meant her kids were mad at her.

* * *

 

Ethan was glad when he was allowed to leave the judge's room again because he didn't like to talk about what his parents had done to him when he had been bad. He didn't like the way grown-ups looked at him when he told, because he was never sure what they were thinking. Did they think he deserved it or did they think his parents were the bad ones like aunt Carole and uncle Burt did?

His foster parents and siblings were all waiting outside for him, uncle Burt on a chair because he wasn't supposed to move around too much yet and Ethan welcomed the hug aunt Carole pulled him into.

"Ready to go in?" she asked and Ethan gave her a small nod. His social worker had told him he didn't have to go in and listen to what his parents were saying but he needed to know. He needed to know if they were different now or if they didn't want him back because he had caused them problems.

Aunt Carole had said it was his decision, and so he went inside the big room and sat down between aunt Carole and uncle Burt. It wasn't so bad at first, because the judge only asked his parents about some things they had to do the past months but then they started talking about him, and all he wanted to do was put his fingers in his ears to block out what they were saying.

Before he knew it he was out in the hallway again and he realized that Finn must have carried him out. Aunt Carole was kneeling in front of him, wiping his tears away with a tissue.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she whispered. "You know what they are saying isn't true, right?"

Ethan gave her a shaky nod. After months of reassurances from the Hudmels he was finally believing it when they told him he was a nice boy who didn't deserve to be treated badly.

"Does that mean I get to stay with you forever now?" he asked once he managed to stop crying. Aunt Carole pulled him into her arms.

"I really hope so."

 

**Epilogue**

The paperwork had gone through surprisingly fast and by the time August came around and the boys were packing up their rooms, getting ready to start college, Ethan was officially a Hudson – Hummel. The young boy had spent the first few weeks after his parents court hearing holed up in his room, until football camp had finally drawn him out from his hiding place. He had come back home much happier, telling everyone how happy he was to be back with his family and how much he had enjoyed his time at camp.

Finn, Kurt and Blaine had forgone their usual summer jobs and spent as much time in the shop as possible to keep Burt from working too much too soon. He had promised his family to stay away from it while government was in session and let Carole handle the business side as she was learning in college how to do that. Her degree program would only last another year and she was grateful for the hands on experience she was gaining in preparation for hopefully making her own dreams come true in the near future.

Burt and Carole also had a long overdue talk about their foster parents situation because as he told her, she couldn't adopt every kid they took in. Together they called her friend from social service and informed her that they would like to only take in older kids who temporarily needed a place to stay and voiced their preference for kids who had to leave home because of LGBT related issues. They both had plenty of experience with these issues by now and they felt the need to help kids like Blaine who had been unfortunate enough to get kicked out by their parents after coming out.

Not long after, a seventeen-year-old girl named Stacey joined their family for the summer, because after getting accepted to college with a full ride she had decided to come out and her parents hadn't taken it well. Because she wasn't eighteen yet, the state had been trying to find a place for her until she could start college and the Hudmels were more than happy to take her in. She was just the first in a long line of teens who found temporary refuge with the Hudson-Hummel family before they were forced out into the world to make it on their own.

Kurt eventually started talking to his dad again when he understood that his dad putting his needs first was a good thing. Kurt's room soon turned into sticker central as every available surface was covered in blue, green or red. He soon realized though that moving into a shared dorm room meant he couldn't take as many things with him as he wanted.

He was glad though that he already knew who his roommate was going to be because Blaine was nervous that he would be placed with a homophobic jerk. Kurt tried to assure him that everything was going to be okay because the room advisors were aware of his situation and would surely find someone for him he was compatible with.

By the time August came around, Kurt was actually glad Blaine was going to Brown instead of Columbia because just saying goodbye to the newbies in Glee club was hard enough. This way they would only be an hour apart, and though they both knew they were going to be busy with school during the week, they promised each other to spend the weekends together and skype and talk as much as possible.

Blaine's mom, who had been hesitant to start dating again after her disastrous marriage, joined Kurt's grandma on one of her singles cruises two weeks before they had to move to the east coast and the two of them took advantage of Blaine's empty house as much as they could.

It was a bitter sweet moment for Kurt when he realized he didn't associate his old house with home anymore, but time had made things easier to deal with. He would always miss his mom terribly and as much as he loved Carole, she would never be able to replace her. Not that she wanted to – Carole was busy playing surrogate mom to all the kids in the area that needed one, and Kurt thought that was great because who knew what would have happened to Blaine if first his mom and later Carole hadn't taken him in.

Finn had decided to stay home for a bit longer so he wouldn't cost his family additional money, but had already told Kurt he had plans to move in with Puck as soon as he made some money of his own. Kurt thought that could only end in disaster but was happy his brother was finally making plans about his future.

Three days before orientation started for the new college students, New Directions came together for one last party in the Hudmel backyard and after promising to clean up after them and that no one would drive home, Burt begrudgingly handed the over eighteen year olds a few bottles of beer and wine, in the hope that the party wouldn't get out of hand if he prevented them from getting liquor with fake IDs like it had before.

The house was still standing when he and Carole got back from out of town the next day and no one looked particularly hung over, so he counted his slightly illegal methods of parenting a full success.

Not being allowed to do any heavy lifting yet, Burt was forced to deal with Kurt's clothes the day of the move but after being reminded of proper care for the fourth time, he sat back in his lawn chair and sipped on a non-alcoholic beer while the rest of the family was packing up Kurt's belonging.

Hours later, Kurt and Blaine's stuff was in the van they had rented for the move and Carole, Burt and Tala piled into Kurt's car, while Finn was driving the truck and Kurt and Blaine drove Kurt's car. Finn's classes started a week after Kurt and Blaine's and so he had decided to stay in Boston for a few days with his brother before taking a train back to Ohio in time for his school to start.

Saying goodbye to his dad had been so much harder than Kurt had expected after their shared history, but it reminded him again how much things in his life had changed in the past few years. He had already said goodbye to his mom the day before the big move and had promised her to come visit again during his Thanksgiving break.

Kurt had finally found his new home and now that he had it he was reluctant to give it up. But he knew in his heart that whatever would happen in the future, he would always have his home to come back to.

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this story a few months ago, but I still plan to write a sort of triquel consisting of non-chronological one shots. It just might take some more time till I start it.


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